Patience Old Script

Proposed Title: -

Half Empty / Hollow Point (PATIENCE)*

A faint ticking of a clock can be heard.

*(A man’s eyes are illuminated by a slit of light, which penetrates the venetian blinds. He turns around and goes towards the table.)

An analogue clock upon the wall reads 7:30pm.

The camera pans around a bare small room. It is dimly lit. And it is dark outside. The main light source is from a lamp suspended from the ceiling above a small circular wooden table. There is the occasional light of passing vehicles, which penetrates through the old wooden venetian blinds. The drone of vehicles outside can be heard.

The camera focuses on various objects around the sparsely furnished room, such as the clock on the wall. A notice board/ calendar. A bottle and half a glass of Jack Daniels. An Ash tray. The room is smoky and moody in atmosphere.

A man sits in his chair by the circular wooden table. Only his chin and nose are visible. His face is concealed by a harsh shadow, yet he appears to be a burly, sturdy man, heavy yet intimidating. We get the impression that he is in his late forties. He wears only a sleeveless white vest over his chest. He is smoking a cigar.

The clock on the wall reads 7:45pm.

He seems to be waiting for something, as he keeps on inspecting his wrist watch. Maybe an obsessive compulsive.

The clock on the wall reads 7:59pm.

His stomach rumbles. He clasps his belly with his huge right hand.

The man seems edgy, impatient. He is expecting something.

Light footsteps can be heard off outside, becoming louder. The soles of the approaching stranger become more pronounced as they begin ascending the stone porch steps outside the front door.

There is an abrupt bang and rattle as something is passed through the letterbox.

The seated man remains absolutely silent and motionless in his chair like an imposing statue. The unknown individual’s footsteps become very faint. Only once the footsteps disappear does he begin to fidget.

He rises abruptly from his chair, too abruptly and hits his head on the lamp above the table. The lamp swings violently, but the man is quick to stop the lamp from swinging any further. Still his face is concealed in the darkness of the room.

He leaves the room and the camera does not follow. It remains in its position perched upon the wooden table. His footsteps become fainter as he leaves the sitting room for the hall/ entryway, and become louder once more as he re enters the lounge. He drops a parcel upon the small circular wooden table and then abruptly slumps once more in his chair. He pauses for a moment with hesitation, then he reaches out for the parcel. He opens the seal with one swift motion of the tip of his thumb, much like slitting the throat of a lamb. He reaches inside and withdraws a wodge of documents.

It is the information regarding his next target … his next client. A close up: There are photographs, routines, occupation and further details of his next victim, a young man, a barrister. Reward $5000.

The man reads the information thoroughly and then puts all the documents back in the parcel. He gets up and looks at his suppressed sig Sauer which rests on the opposite side of the table, hollow point bullets rest beside it. He reaches for the sidearm and puts it in his trousers, he gathers up the bullets and quickly leaves the room. The Jack Daniels in the glass tumbler is left untouched. The camera remains static. Faint rustling can be heard in the hallway. Heard off, the front door is opened, followed by a metallic crunch as the door is closed behind him.

The final shot of the nameless character shows him standing on top of the porch steps in a long jacket and a hat upon his head in front of his rented house. He takes one last puff of his cigar and drops it to his feet and he stamps it out. He lets out a sigh and descends the steps and leaves the building. His footsteps become faint … then disappear.

(Close up)

*He pulls out a small thumbnail photograph. It is of a woman. He slides his middle and ring finger down the cheek of the woman in the photograph.

*The man sits in his chair, lazily tossing cards into his upturned hat upon the table in front of him.

NOTES: -

Perhaps the woman in the photograph is a past lover, however she becomes the target. (Perhaps that he would rather take his own life than kill the woman he loves)