Who You Calling A Bitch?

It's the cold, cruel early light of Monday moring. Back to the daily grind. Do you need a little respite from your cold, cruel 9-to-5 lives? A dark, damp place to crawl into when the going gets tough ... when you have That Killing Feeling ... ?

Screened a great one last night. Christopher Nolan's INSOMNIA, starring Al Pacino, Hilary Swank and Robin Willims. Quite the corker. Pacino plays an LA cop who travels to Alaska to try and solve a brutal murder of a young girl, and he gives a great, restrained performance. (Nolan is a genius to be able to rein him in like that.) Swank, who I usually don't like, is fine as the young, eager local officer, and Robin Williams is astounding as the creepy serial killer. The gimmick in the story is it's the time of year when the sun shines 24 hours a day, non-stop ... and its effect on a person after not being able to sleep for a few days. And Pacino is masterful in his portrayal of man who's losing his career, the case, and just maybe, his mind. Two icicles way up for this one. One of the few decent remakes out there.

Onto today's joint from NOWHERE GIRL, and this one's a doozy. Things are coming to a head when ...

Former special ops agent Renny Quick tries to disarm the nuke ...
Homeland Security agent April Street arrives on the scene ...
And is confronted by Cherry Nation ...
Where they are shocked to reveal ...
A BIG secret ...

EXT. MANSION - FRONT YARD - NIGHT
Peeler watches the action through the window.
Panicked.

PEELER
This doesn’t look good.

FEMALE VOICE (O.C.)
That’s the tricky part about being a Peeping Tom.

APRIL
Steps into view. Aiming her Sig Sauer.

PEELER
Oh, h-hi. I’m with Cherry,
the girl with the nuke, remember?

APRIL
Of course -- you’re the guy that fucking handcuffed me.

PEELER
Sorry about that.
Listen, some serious shit is about to go down.
Cherry is in there trying to do the deal --
and the nuke has been, like -- ACTIVATED.
We’ve got, like -- I dunno, nine, ten minutes?

APRIL
WHAT?

She touches her hands-free. Speaks into it.

APRIL (CONT’D)
You get all that?

INTERCUT WITH:

INT. CIA HEADQUARTERS - CUBICLE - CONTINUOUS
Lark Eden sits at her desk. CHOKES on her coffee.

LARK
Yeah. Hold tight,
I’m going to send every agent we have in the area.

INT. MANSION - LIVING ROOM - AT THAT MOMENT
Hamad looks at Cherry. At Kamal. Then Renny.

HAMAD
And how am I supposed to believe you?

RENNY
Well, we can go back and forth like this while the clock is ticking --
or you can take a chance on saving your fucking lives.
Your choice, Bin Laden.

HAMAD
WHAT did you call me?

RENNY
You heard me, you fucking terrorist.
You think you can just waltz into our country
and buy a NUKE?

HAMAD
It was your CORRUPT GOVERNMENT
that SOLD it to us, IMBECILE.

CHERRY
SHUT UP, both of you.
While you’re playing who’s dick is bigger --
we’re running out of TIME.

EXT. MANSION - FRONT YARD - NIGHT
Peeler sits on the ground.
April looks in the window.

APRIL
I’m going in. You stay put.

PEELER
Sure thing. I’ll just sit here
and watch my life flash before my eyes.

INT. MANSION - LIVING ROOM - AT THAT MOMENT
Renny opens the case. Studies the bomb. Scratches his chin.

CHERRY
Well, what are you waiting for?

RENNY
I haven’t done this in -- ten years.

CHERRY
What?

RENNY
Chill out. It’s all about shutting off the power.
Wiring is wiring.
(beat)
I’m gonna need pliers,
or a pair of scissors,
something like that.

Hamad looks at the guards,
who are now conscious.

HAMAD
You. Go look in the kitchen.

They RACE OFF.

RENNY
(looking at the wiring)
The red and the blue -- or the yellow --

FEMALE VOICE (O.C.)
Homeland Security! Nobody MOVE.

APRIL
Walks into the room.
Automatic weapon trained on Renny.

APRIL
(to Renny)
Put your hands in the air
and step away from the device.

CHERRY
He’s DISARMING the device, bitch.

APRIL
Who you calling a bitch?

HAMAD
(looks at them)
Are you two -- sisters?

KAMAL
They look a lot alike.

RENNY
Will everyone please SHUT UP?
I’m trying to CONCENTRATE here.

Renny pulls out another pair of wires.
Wipes his forehead.

CLOSE ON:
The LCD reads 4:15.

APRIL
(to Cherry)
Where were you born?

CHERRY
In the UK. I was adopted.
My parents moved here I was four.

APRIL
I was adopted when I was four.
(beat)
I had a sister --
but they only took me.

CHERRY
I had a sister, too -- but --

APRIL
That explains --

CHERRY
Why we --

APRIL
THAT’S why I hate your guts.

CHERRY
And that’s why I hate YOURS.
(beat)
My sister, the spy.

APRIL
My sister, the --
(appraises her outfit)
Stripper?