Topical Guide 518
Mark Dorset
Cocktails: Black Russian
Adaptation: Novel to Screen
ChatGPT (with a little help from me), Reservations Recommended, The Screenplay:
INT. MATTHEW’S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Matthew and Leila step inside the apartment, relieved and slightly exhausted. Matthew sniffs the air, detecting an unpleasant odor.
MATTHEW Well, that was a riot.
He wrinkles his nose, recognizing the scent.
MATTHEW (voiceover) Damn. It’s back. Rotten bananas. And there’s something else, too.
Matthew takes Leila’s coat, observing her reaction for any signs of discomfort.
MATTHEW I’m going to make myself a drink. Would you like something?
LEILA (uncertain) I would, yeah. But I don’t know what. Daddy taught me how to make all those drinks, but I don’t really like the taste of any of them.
MATTHEW (smiling) I'm going to have a Scotch. Do you like Scotch?
LEILA (shaking her head) No.
MATTHEW (teasing) I’ll bet you'd like a Black Russian.
LEILA (unsure) I don’t know.
MATTHEW (confident) I think you’ll like it.
LEILA (tentative, polite) Whatever.
Leila wanders past the kitchen and turns the corner. The breathtaking view captures her attention.
LEILA (amazed) Oh, wow. This is beautiful.
MATTHEW (grinning) It’s nice, isn't it?
LEILA (astonished) It’s amazing. This is the most beautiful apartment I’ve ever seen.
Leila stands close to the windows, as if she’s gazing into a coveted shop display.
Matthew starts playing his favorite Coleman Hawkins tape, emitting soulful jazz music. Leila seems unaffected by the melody. Matthew heads to the kitchen to prepare the drinks, pausing for a moment as he considers Leila’s choice.
BW (V.O.) You know, Matthew, it is possible to get a lot of alcohol into a girl pretty quickly through a well-concocted Black Russian.
MATTHEW (voiceover) I’m not going to descend to that.
Matthew fills a lowball glass with ice, pouring a small amount of Kahlúa and vodka. He carries the drinks back to the living room, where Leila appears to be immersed in her own thoughts, her emotions simmering.
MATTHEW You’ll like this, I think. But don’t let it fool you. It’s stronger than it tastes. Go slow. I’ll be right back as soon as I change.
Matthew exits the room, leaving Leila alone with her thoughts and Coleman Hawkins’s bluesy rendition of “Cocktails for Two.”
Music: For the Reservations Recommended Soundtrack Album
See also:
Drinking: Cocktails, Cocktail Shakers TG 57; Drinking; Smoking TG 15; Cocktails, Old Fashioned TG 132; Cocktails: The Shirley Temple TG 150; Cocktails: The Martini TG 415, TG 416; Cocktails, Real and Fictional TG 437
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