Daily Dialogue — March 11, 2016

INT. LIVING ROOM — APARTMENT — NIGHT

BRANDON is sitting on the couch, watching a cartoon. SISSY enters the apartment, on her cell phone. BRANDON ignores her.

SISSY: David? Pick up. I take it you’re at your pottery class.
SISSY: Have you eaten?
BRANDON: No.
SISSY: Are you hungry?
BRANDON: No.

SISSY sits down next to BRANDON on the couch.

SISSY: Can you just give me a hug?

BRANDON puts him arm around her. She snuggles up to him.

BRANDON: He’s not gonna screw you again.

SISSY sighs.

BRANDON: You left him a message, didn’t you? You can’t help yourself. It’s disgusting.
SISSY: Why are you so fucking angry?
BRANDON: Why am I so fucking angry? That’s my boss. You sleep with him after twenty minutes and now you’re calling him up? What’s the matter with you? You know he’s got a family, right? You know he’s got a family?
SISSY: No.
BRANDON: You didn’t see the wedding ring on his finger?
SISSY: No.
BRANDON: You’re a liar.
SISSY: I’m sorry.
BRANDON: You’re always sorry.
SISSY: At least–
BRANDON: That’s all you ever fucking say!
SISSY: Well, at least I say I’m sorry.
BRANDON: Try doing something. Actions count, not words.
SISSY: I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I fucked up. I’m not perfect, I make mistakes. But I’m trying.
BRANDON: Some people fuck up all the time.

BRANDON removes his arm from around SISSY.

BRANDON: Look, just forget it. This isn’t working out. Obviously. You need to find somewhere else to live.
SISSY: I don’t have anywhere else to go.

Silence.

SISSY: This isn’t about him. I make you angry all the time and I don’t know why.
BRANDON: No. You trap me. You force me into a corner and you trap me. “I’ve got nowhere else to go.” I mean, what sort of fucking shit is that?
SISSY: You’re my brother.
BRANDON: So what? I’m responsible for you?
SISSY: Yes!
BRANDON: No I’m not!
SISSY: Yes, you fucking are!
BRANDON: No, I didn’t give birth to you. I didn’t bring you into this world.
SISSY: You’re my brother, I’m your sister. We’re family. We’re meant to look after each other.
BRANDON: You’re not looking after me.
SISSY: I’m–
BRANDON: I’m looking after myself.
SISSY: I’m trying. I’m trying to help you!
BRANDON: How are you helping me? Huh? How are you helping me?

BRANDON grips SISSY’s face in his hand.

BRANDON: How are you helping me? Huh? Look at me. How are you helping me? You come in here, and you’re a weight on me. Do you understand me? You’re a burden. You’re just fucking dragging me down. How are you helping me? You can’t even clean up after yourself. Stop playing the victim.
SISSY: I’m not playing the fucking victim. If I left, I would never hear from you again. Don’t you think that’s sad? Don’t you think that’s sad? You’re my brother.

BRANDON pulls his hand away from SISSY.

BRANDON: Why is it always so dramatic with you? Everything is always the end of the world.
SISSY: It’s not fucking dramatic. I’m trying to talk to you!
BRANDON: I don’t wanna talk. Try not talking. Try just listening, or thinking for a change.
SISSY: Yeah, cause that’s working great for you. You’re completely fine.
BRANDON: Well, I’ve got my own fucking apartment.
SISSY: Oh, whopee-fucking-shit. You have your own apartment, that’s amazing. Your job and an apartment, I should be in awe of you.
BRANDON: Well, at least I’m responsible for it. At least I don’t depend on people all the time. You’re a dependency, you’re a parasite.
SISSY: You don’t have anybody. You don’t have anybody. You have me and your fucking pervert boss.
BRANDON: You slept with that fucking pervert boss. What does that make you?
SISSY: Don’t talk to me about sex-life, Brandon. Not from you.
BRANDON: Whatever.

BRANDON makes his way to the closet, taking his coat.

BRANDON: I’m going out.
SISSY: Right. And then you’ll just come back and we’ll just have this same fucking conversation again.
BRANDON: No, you’ll move out.
SISSY: And then I’ll never hear from you again?

BRANDON exits the apartment.

— Shame (2011), written by Steve McQueen and Abi Morgan

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Argument. Today’s suggestion by Gregory Netterville.

Trivia: The scene where Brandon (Michael Fassbender) and Sissy (Carey Mulligan) have an argument on the couch while watching TV is an unbroken take of 6 minutes and 15 seconds.

Dialogue On Dialogue: Commentary by Gregory: “An argument without all the yelling… The facts that this scene runs long makes for a very interesting watch.”

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