I want to stay in bed all day.
Whatever you said, I liked it.
It translates to, "The one who sleeps catches no fish."
-Mm. -Mwah.
Oh.
Well, I hate to see you go, but I like to watch you leave.
That translates to, "I like your butt."
-Oh my God! -Oh! Oh! Oh!
Oh God, Mindy's on the couch.
Yeah.
You don't have to go, Min.
No, it's all good.
Ballando offered to put me up in a nice hotel, so why not?
To spend time with your best friend?
A best friend who I don't want to keep cock-blocking.
Marcello was basically shooing me away with his dick this morning.
-It does have a mind of its own. -Okay.
-So, what hotel are they putting you in? -Uh, the Orient Express La Minerva.
Oh! Nice.
Oh! I think, um, Alfie's staying there. You should text him.
No, no, no. I've got so much choreo to learn for the show, and it's tomorrow.
Emily, I can't believe I agreed to do this.
Sorry again, Mindy.
Oh, no big D.
As in "deal."
No big deal.
Your D was perfect. You…
You know what? I'm going to go.
CONVENT HOTEL
Hello, Sister Celestino!
How'd you sleep?
Eh?
Hello, Sister Vivianna, how's it going?
Have a good day!
Do you have enough, my son?
Oh, yes. Grazie, Sister Esta.
All good.
Hi. Uh, buongiorno.
Do you mind if we, uh, sit?
Oh, yeah. No, not at all. Please.
I told you he'd speak English.
-Hi, I'm David. This is my wife, Katie. -Oh.
Nice to meet you. I'm Luc. Americans?
Ohioans. Our first time to Europe.
Can you believe how cheap this place is?
Aside from the 11 o'clock curfew and the shared bathrooms,
it's as good as any hotel.
Esattamente. That's why I'm here.
And Sister Cristina's frittata is…
I heard the eggs are blessed.
Eggs benedictine, huh?
The commercial starts
on a beautiful woman sitting alone in a movie theater.
When the lights go down,
she's joined by a man.
He puts his hand on her knee,
and it's clear they know each other.
The movie playing on the screen will be a series of quick cuts.
First of a little boy and a little girl chasing each other through Solitano.
Then it's the little girl and the little boy as teenagers,
flirting, stealing glances.
And back in the movie theater,
the man's hand begins to move to the woman's thigh.
On the screen,
we see the teenagers walking through the village,
unable to keep their hands off each other.
Eventually, they're sharing their first kiss.
We cut back to the theater,
and it's just the beautiful woman
watching the film alone,
smiling at the memories.
Or was it just a fantasy?
It's so good.
It feels classically Italian, almost like Cinema Paradiso.
That's true.
Cinema Paradiso is one of my favorite films.
Umberto's too.
He loved movies. That's why we had the theater built.
Then, maybe we could call the fragrance Muratori Paradiso.
Muratori Paradiso.
-I like that. -I like it too.
But if the goal is for the brand to appeal to a global audience,
then maybe the commercial should be more cosmopolitan.
Maybe we shoot it in Rome or Milan or even New York.
-No? -No.
It doesn't feel right at all.
Well, we… Mm. We do want to make sure
that the commercial is something people from all over can connect with.
That's why you hired me.
Don't worry, it's gonna be beautiful.
I know how smitten you are,
but Antonia's the one we have to please, not Marcello.
I'm trying to please both.
Well, just the one will do.
Don't be a liability, Emily.
It's been here for a while
Knowing soon it will be time to go
Again?
Again!
Okay.
You know what? Let's call it.
From the beginning.
Okay.
Mm-hm.
Spin.
And out.
Your hand.
Three, two,
one.
Oh! I'm so sorry.
Oh, Christ.
I know, my knees are really sharp.
Gianna! Please, come over here!
I'm trying to dance with a refrigerator! She's a beginner!
Okay.
-Hi, I'm Mindy. -Ciao.
Yes, Mindy the refrigerator, who can't get the lift.
-Overhead? -Yes.
A first year dance student could get it.
She's a TikTok singer.
I'm aware.
Look.
Easy!
Cool, facile. I know what that means.
Come on. Again.
Come on, I'll help you.
Oh, I don't speak Italian. Oh. I guess I consent.
Five, six, seven, eight!
Arm.
-And… -Down.
That's low. Jeez, okay.
This hand…
Maybe we can think of another end of the dance.
Yeah, maybe… Maybe we do like a deep bow.
Again.
Okay.
So, after the embarrassment at Fendi,
we need to sign another luxury client.
Not only to preserve our reputation,
but also to justify keeping an office.
Hello, team. Now, do you want to tell them or shall I?
I was just about to tell them.
Oh, well,
luckily for all of you,
I was able to get us a meeting at Intimissimi.
The underwear brand?
Lingerie.
Oh, lingerie and underwear are two entirely different things.
It's form over function.
Good gas mileage versus sporty handling.
Are you two really mansplaining lingerie to me?
I mean, have either of you ever tried any?
Surprisingly, no.
Panties on me is like putting a muzzle on a polar bear.
But I think I should be considered for the account.
I already have some ideas.
Something dark and sexy.
Do you remember the film The Night Porter with, uh, Charlotte Rampling?
-No? -Mm-mm.
It's about a former SS officer, and she was his prisoner.
We could explore themes of fascism and submission.
That would be a hot take for lingerie.
I'm feeling it.
Really?
I think Emily is the right person for the account.
You've got a chance to redeem yourself after the Fendi fiasco.
Oy, as my Jewish grandmother would say.
Go home, think about it.
Maybe try some things on.
Send us some pictures.
No.
I want to prove the French can sell sex better than the Italians.
But I'm American.
Well, that's your problem. Don't make it ours.
Thanks for helping me.
Better than another night watching Antoine chew his wine.
You're really good.
I was forced to take ballroom lessons as a kid.
-Oh! -My mum said they'd pay off one day.
I can't actually believe she was right.
You ready for the leap?
Maybe.
No, I can't do this.
You can do this.
I don't think I can.
I really don't.
Just stop thinking about it.
Turn off your brain,
and jump.
Okay.
Let's take it from the head flicky thingy.
Ah, you want to start with the sassy bit.
Stop.
Ready?
Yeah.
Oh my God!
-I told you. -I did it!
Finally.
We can't.
Get it on so he can get it off.
Mm…
Or how about just get it on.
Intimissimi.
-Get it on. -Are you working right now?
Well, I could go sit alone in an office
and try coming up with a lingerie campaign,
but I thought this would be more fun.
How about "Intimissimi, better on the floor"?
Hm. Not bad.
Eh?
What about…
"Make foreplay last."
"Make it five-play."
Mm. Non bene.
Yeah.
Yeah, non bene.
See? Good ideas and good taste.
No wonder you're a titan of industry in the making.
Yeah. Tell that to my mother.
She has no faith in me.
Otherwise, I'd be running Muratori by now.
Yeah, well, she's probably just having trouble letting go of the reins.
Yeah, because she still thinks of me
as the wild, irresponsible kid who was always in trouble with the nuns.
Yeah, but, you know, parents sometimes project their own fears onto their kids.
Pfft.
Seems like it's just me.
I'm sorry. I know how that feels.
Your parents are like that too?
Mm, not exactly.
I was thinking more Sylvie. She put me in charge of the Rome office,
but she doesn't seem to have any faith in my ability to actually run it.
Sylvie and my mother definitely have one thing in common.
I don't want to think about either of them right now.
Me neither.
Is it time to take the lingerie off yet?
I still have to figure out this campaign.
Fine. If it's better for work, you can leave the lingerie on.
It might be a little sexier.
Ah…
-That's not a bad idea. -Mm-hm.
Sexier than naked.
"Sexier than naked"?
Yes.
We see a couple kissing passionately.
She goes to take off her lingerie, but he stops her.
"Leave it on," he says.
Is he gay?
What? No.
No, the lingerie is just so beautiful it takes center stage.
You want to see it.
We want this lingerie to make people connect.
This is too surface.
And a little confusing.
Well, um, how about I take all these notes and rethink?
-I could have you something by-- -We can meet tomorrow at the same time.
We are on a deadline to make our decision.
Great. Well, let's make that happen.
I'm not going to be able to make tomorrow.
Oh. We'll miss you.
I'm losing my touch.
You know, I don't think my ideas are translating in Rome.
I mean, I thought Italians liked sex.
Actually, they're very repressed.
Oh, well, that hasn't been my experience so far.
What's going on in here?
-Nothing. -Just Emily intimacy issues.
Oh, we are finally talking about it.
From the moment you walked into the office in Paris,
I noticed you had a wall up.
-No, Luc, I-- -No.
Who could blame you?
I mean, a young woman in a foreign land,
in a foreign office.
But as time went on,
I saw it was more than that.
The very curated online presence,
the bold outfits stealing focus from what's underneath.
Maybe you've been hurt in the past.
Luc, I don't have a problem with intimacy, okay?
I have a problem with Intimissimi the brand.
Oh.
I misunderstood.
Yeah.
Or maybe not.
I still have my Night Porter idea.
Great.
One more just like that.
No, the boy's attitude…
He seems defeated.
He should act like they're playing a game.
Keep rolling or cut?
Uh, cut.
Cut!
The little boy is sad at first,
and then he realizes it's a game.
I think we should keep it light from the beginning.
-I can do a take where it starts playful. -Thank you.
Sure.
Okay, let's do it again.
Okay, back to one. Thank you.
Grazie.
Ah!
Italian women, you're always late.
Yes, but we're always worth the wait.
-Ah! -Sorry, my sweet.
Mwah!
Is that for me?
Yes.
It's gorgeous.
Should we go see how it fits? At your place.
I have to be back at the office.
But I can come over tonight after Ballando, Ballando, Ballando.
We cannot go to my place.
My father's staying with me now, and his breathing machine is very loud.
But I can come to your hotel.
Okay. But you have to be there before 11:00. Don't be late.
I wouldn't dream of it.
Look.
Are you enjoying this?
Or are you anxious for it to be over?
I just wonder what Umberto would think.
This would all be a little Hollywood to him.
Would you always agree with what Umberto thought?
Almost never.
But it was nice to have someone to push back against.
The success or failure of the company is all in my hands now.
It's a lot of responsibility and a little lonely.
I know that feeling.
What if we ended the commercial on the idea of the couple together
rather than the woman alone?
Oh…
I like that.
Brava.
Excuse me.
Giancarlo!
It's totally different from what I'd planned.
Yeah, but I think it works better.
I spoke to Antonia. She actually prefers this version.
So then I guess I don't have a choice.
No, it's still your vision.
It's not if the ending's different.
I didn't realize you were so precious about this.
I didn't realize we were directing by committee.
Giancarlo, we're here to please the client.
And that's what the client wants.
I think it's what you want.
And you always do what you want.
Isn't that right?
Giancarlo, basta.
You're behaving like one of the children on set.
Do you want me to ask one of them to direct instead?
I have a better idea.
Tommaso, she's directing this now.
Giancarlo!
Doesn't feel great to be left, does it?
Oh my God, look!
She looks like she's already won.
Aw!
I know.
And this is the girl who had debilitating stage fright.
She used to have to get one before performing to calm down.
-Get one? -You know.
Orgasm.
Is that what you say?
Maybe.
message chimes]
What is it?
I'm just going to meet you in the seats.
Okay.
When I get nervous, I sweat and then things scoot around.
So I just need you to spray my butt with glue.
Honestly, I'm relieved that's all you're asking.
Oh, thank you.
-I'm gonna make a fool out of myself. -You're gonna be great.
I don't think so.
There's a big leap at the end, and I've only gotten it right one time.
You remember what you did that one time?
Yes. Yes, I do.
-Well, then just do that. -Oh. Right.
Yeah. Yeah. Uh, yeah.
Yes, I-- That's good.
Just breathe.
Okay, maybe don't breathe.
Really get in there.
Luc said I had intimacy issues.
If only he could see me now.
Well, you definitely don't have intimacy issues with me.
What, you think I have intimacy issues with other people?
Well, I just think you need to be pushed slightly to open up.
If someone were to share something personal with you,
then I think you'd share something personal about yourself.
Yeah, exactly. But I didn't do that.
Marcello opened up to me about his mom,
but then I sort of pivoted to work.
Oh, that's fine.
You really think that's fine?
No, I don't, but can we talk about this another time?
I have to leap over a man's head, engage my core, point my toes,
then try not to pee when his thumbs jab into my bladder.
So it's hard for me to think about anything else now.
Copy.
Oh, my God. Oh, my God!
Go, go, go.
I will never let you, I will never…
No leap tonight, I hurt my back.
Okay? No leap. Just bow.
Don't worry, I practiced all night. I've got it.
Good.
Dancing the tango
with her partner Orlando Aiello,
it's singer/songwriter Mindy Chen.
Oh…
That was amazing.
Embarrassing!
I'm sorry.
It's ok.
It's not ok.
Idiot!
I know what idiota means. You're the idiota.
Oh, that you understand?!
I told her no leap!
You are an idiot!
I told her no leap! Amateur!
I hate to dash off,
but, uh, Bianca is coming over, and I have a curfew, so…
Ciao, ragazzi.
What does he mean, "a curfew"?
Oh, sometimes it's better not to know.
Um, I'm going to go too. Give her a hug for me? Hm?
-Hey! How are you doing? -I don't want to talk about it.
I don't want to think about it. I'm fine.
-Orlando may have slipped a disc, though. -That was all his fault, right?
It didn't even look like he was trying to catch her.
Yeah, he wasn't.
I love how a translator suddenly appears after there's an incident,
but not a second before.
What if we walk around the city and forget about the day?
Create some new memories.
I'm exhausted. I think I just gotta go back to the hotel.
We could share a cab.
My treat.
-Great. Nice. Okay. -Yeah?
-See you later, mate. -Bye.
Thanks for coming.
So,
how did the pitch to Intimissimi go?
Not my finest moment,
but I have some more ideas.
Do you want to tell them to me?
Actually, I'd rather not talk about work, if that's okay.
Very well.
Sister! Please!
Can you wait just a few minutes, please?
The Lord shows no partiality, Luc.
But could you?
Just this once.
Come on!
Is anyone there?
It's past curfew, my dear.
-Curfew? -I cannot let you in.
God bless.
Bianca! Bianca!
Up here!
Are you staying in a convent?
Yes. It's a really good rate, and very central.
Okay.
I am so sorry.
The curfew is very inconvenient,
and I so badly want to lay eyes on you,
but I also want to respect the sisters.
-You know what I mean? -You're such a sweet man.
I don't want to leave without showing you your surprise.
How beautiful!
My goodness!
Sister, please!
Please!
Jesus loved prostitutes,
but a curfew is a curfew.
David, get out here quick!
There's a hooker trying to get in.
This makes up for no TV.
This is Mercati di Traiano.
Built between the years 100 and about 120-ish.
It's the world's first shopping mall.
-Are you serious? -Mm-hm.
Ha!
Oh!
Okay, oh my God, I totally see it.
Versace. Armani.
-Muratori. -Oh.
Ah!
Dancing fountain over there.
Ooh, food court over there.
It's beautiful.
Hey.
Is there a problem?
I've been thinking a lot about what you said about your mom.
My family's not so different.
They always made me feel like, um,
I had to succeed in life to matter.
Good grades, good job.
Yeah, and they're good people. You know? Don't get me wrong.
It's just, existing was never gonna be enough.
Achieving is what life is about.
So I…
I try really hard.
And I push to make everything work.
And I want to be perfect, you know?
And then I come to a place like this,
and it is just so beautiful.
It takes my breath away.
And it's, you know, because of all the imperfections.
The cracks and the crumbling columns, and I…
It just…
It makes me think that maybe I don't have to push
or fix or try so hard.
Maybe I can just let things be, and it will all be fine.
Maybe even better than fine.
Hm?
♣
I'm going to make us some espresso, hm?
Wait, so now you're wearing underwear?
Hi, roomie. I miss you.
I miss you!
I didn't like leaving you alone last night without a shoulder to cry on.
I feel like a horrible best friend.
No, I didn't cry much. It's okay.
Um, how about I FaceTime you when I'm getting ready?
Okay.
Ciao for now.
Ciao.
-Was that Emily? -Shh!
Yes.
This campaign is about one of the most intimate things
you can do with your partner.
Talk.
Guess what?
We got another client.
No more Intimissimi problems.
Ah! Fantastic!
Oh! Could you ask if they ever have any lightly-worn returns
that they want to give away to charity?
What charity is that? Saint Luc's House of Fetishes?
No, for the nuns in the convent I'm staying in.
They're big fans.
Where are you staying?
What?
Good news.
Intimissimi wants to work with us.
Is everything okay?
Giancarlo walked off set.
And refused to come back.
And I had to finish directing the entire shoot.
What happened?
It's a mess, Emily. It's a mess.
After all the work we've done,
I might have ruined this entire campaign.