Quotes

Mr. Nobody

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Nemo Nobody aged 118: Every path is the right path. Everything could've been anything else. And it would have just as much meaning.

Nemo age 9: You have to make the right choice. As long as you don't choose, everything remains possible.

Nemo Nobody aged 118: Before he was unable to make a choice because he didn't know what would happen. Now that he knows what will happen, he is unable to make a choice.

Nemo Nobody aged 118: At my age the candles cost more than the cake. I'm not afraid of dying. I'm afraid I haven't been alive enough. It should be written on every school room blackboard: Life is a playground - or nothing.

Nemo age 9: In chess, it's called Zugzwang... when the only viable move...
Nemo Nobody aged 118: ...is not to move.

[first lines]
Nemo Nobody adult: Like most living creatures, the pigeon quickly associates the pressing of the level with the reward. But when a timer releases a seed automatically every 20 seconds, the pigeon wonders, what did I do to deserve this? If it was flapping its wings at the time, it will continue to flap, convinced that its actions have the decisive influence on what happens. We call this "pigeon superstition".
Nemo Nobody adult: [cut to Nemo on a gurney] What did I do to deserve this?

Young journalist: You can't be dead and still here. You can't not exist. Is there life after death?
Nemo Nobody aged 118: [hearty laugh] "After death." How can you be so sure you even exist?
[waves him closer]
Nemo Nobody aged 118: You don't exist. Neither do I. We only live in the imagination of a 9 year old child. We are imagined by 9 year old child, faced with an impossible choice.

Nemo age 9: Why am I me and not somebody else?

Nemo age 9: I can remember a long time ago. Long before my birth. I was waiting with those who were not yet born. When we're not born yet, we know everything. Everything that will happen. When it's your turn, the Angels of Oblivion place a finger on your mouth. "Shh..." It leaves a mark on the upper lip. It means that you have forgotten everything. But the angels missed me.

Anna: When we were separated at 15, I said I would never love anyone else, ever. I would never become attached, I'd never stay put anywhere, I'd have nothing for myself; I decided I would pretend to be alive. And this is what I've been waiting for, all this time, renouncing all possible lives, for one only, with you.

Nemo age 5: Daddy says you can predict exactly where Mars will be in the sky, even in a hundred years. But the funny thing is that daddy doesn't know what will happen to him ten minutes from now.

Young journalist: Everything you say is contradictory. You can't have been in one place and another at the same time. Of all those lives, which one is the right one?
Nemo Nobody aged 118: Each of these lives is the right one! Every path is the right path. Everything could have been anything else and it would have just as much meaning.

Nemo Nobody aged 118: I've got nothing to say to you. I'm Mr. Nobody, a man who doesn't exist.
Young journalist: Do you remember what the world was like before telemerization? Quasi-immortality? What was it like when humans were mortals?
Nemo Nobody aged 118: There were cars that polluted. We smoked cigarettes. We ate meat. We did everything we can't do in this dump and it was wonderful! Most of the time nothing happened... like a French movie.
Young journalist: And, um, sexually? Before sex became obsolete.
Nemo Nobody aged 118: Ha, ha! We screwed! Everybody was always screwing. We fell in love... we fell in love.

Nemo Nobody adult: What was there before the big bang? Well, you see, there was no before because before the big bang, time did not exist. Time is a result of the expansion of the universe itself. But what will happen when the universe has finished expanding?

Nemo age 5: Everything we see exists, we can see it. I can see mommy's eyes, but I can't see my eyes. The little baby can see his hands, but he cannot see himself. So, does he really exist? Do I really exist?
Nemo's Mother: [appears from behind a sheet] Boo!

Jean: Nemo, do I matter to you? I'd just like to ask you one question. Did you do it on purpose? I found this on the bedside table.
[reads note]
Jean: There comes a time in life where everything seems narrow. Choices have been made. I can only continue on. I know myself like the back of my hand. I can predict my every reaction. My life has been cast in cement with airbags and seatbelts. I've done everything to reach this point and now that I'm here, I'm fucking bored. The hardest thing is knowing whether I'm still alive.
Nemo Nobody adult: [looks at note] It is my handwriting. I don't remember.

Nemo Nobody aged 118: It should be written on every schoolroom blackboard: life is a playground or nothing.

Nemo age 5: Why do we remember the past, but not the future? When you ask mommy, she says, stop asking why. It's complicated.

Nemo Nobody aged 118: Urgh, you're still here? Did I fall asleep? Sometimes I don't sleep so I think... I think about how it was... and all I have left. What do you see when you look at me? A grumpy old man who never answers questions? Who mixes everything up? Who's kept busy by getting his meals? That's not me. Me... I wear shorts. I'm nine years old. I can run faster than the train. I can't feel my aching back anymore. I'm fifteen. I'm fifteen and I'm in love.

Nemo Nobody adult: There's no life without you.
Anna: Go slowly. I have to get used to it. I talked to you so much when you weren't there, it's strange for me to talk to you for real.

Nemo age 9: If you mix the mashed potatoes and sauce, you can't separate them later. It's forever. The smoke comes out of Daddy's cigarette, but it never goes back in. We cannot go back. That's why it's hard to choose. You have to make the right choice. As long as you don't choose, everything remains possible.

Nemo Nobody aged 118: Sometimes people call me Mr. Craft. C-R-A-F-T. Can't Remember A Fucking Thing.

Nemo Nobody adult: [narrating while in his car underwater] I always liked fish. I never thought that one day they would like me too.

Nemo Nobody adult: [to/about Elise] I often have this dream. In prehistoric times, I can hear you screaming. I chase the bear and you're not afraid anymore, but when I wake up, there's no bear... but you're still afraid. And I'm not a bear hunter. I'm an executive at a plant that manifactures photocopying machines that just quit his job. I don't dare to move, I don't live, whatever I do is a disaster. I would love to set out to chase the bear away and for you to not be afraid anymore.

Nemo Nobody aged 118: Everything works out in the end, even badly.

Nemo Nobody adult: [on telephone] I'm gonna be a little late.
Anna: It's okay, don't worry.
Nemo Nobody adult: I love you.
Anna: I love you more.
Nemo Nobody adult: Me more.
Anna: Me more.
Nemo Nobody adult: Okay.
Anna: Cheater!

Nemo Nobody adult: [meets by chance at the trainstation] Anna!
Anna: Nemo... how have you been?
Nemo Nobody adult: I'm fine, how are you?
Anna: Yeah, good.
Nemo Nobody adult: Are they your kids?
Anna: Yeah...
[awkward silence]
Anna: Well, see you around.
Nemo Nobody adult: Yeah, uh... See you around.
Nemo age 16: [narrating] What on earth made me say I don't go swimming with idiots?

Elise: What are you doing today?
Nemo Nobody adult: I was thinking about taking the opportunity to wash the car.
Elise: What's the deal with that car?
Nemo Nobody adult: What do you mean?
Elise: Why do you take such good care of that car while you leave me here all alone? What's the problem with the car?
Nemo Nobody adult: [goes outside to set the car on fire, then goes back to Elise] There's no more problem with the car.

Nemo's Father: You look like my son.
Nemo age 16: I am your son, dad.
Nemo's Father: My son is taller than you.

Nemo age 16: Sometimes I can see the future.
Anna age 15: Doesn't sound like it'd be much fun to know what's going to happen.

Nemo Nobody adult: What's wrong?
Elise: I was dreaming about Stefano. He doesn't give a damn about me. I love him. There can't be any other explaination for being in this state. I don't know what it could be. I'm not happy. I'm going crazy. Every morning when I wake up, I rub my eyes and I see your face and I start crying. I realise that my life is passing me by. How can you stay so calm? How can you be like that? You're not human! I don't know what to do! It's not my fault, right? You're not gonna leave me, are you?
Nemo Nobody adult: No no no, I love you!
Elise: I hurt everybody! I hurt you, the children... this can't go on.
Nemo Nobody adult: Together we can do it.
Elise: Then you're all gonna end up drowning with me.
Nemo Nobody adult: We'll learn to swim. I love you.
Elise: I love you.
Nemo Nobody adult: I love you...

Anna age 15: You wanna go for a swim? Come on, it'll be...
Nemo age 16: No, I...
Anna age 15: Come swim with us, they're my friends. Come on.
Nemo age 16: They're idiots. I don't go swimming with idiots.
Anna age 15: Jerk.
[leaves]
Nemo age 16: [narrating] What on earth made me say I don't go swimming with idiots?

Man in black 2: This is weird. His shoes are different sizes.
Man in black 1: Maybe he shrunk? Happens when you get older, you shrink.
Man in black 2: No one shrinks, that's rubbish. You got the wrong bloke, that's all.
Man in black 1: Astronauts shrink two inches when they come back to Earth.
Man in black 2: You think this fella is an astronaut?

Anna age 15: You're the first and last person I'll ever love.
Nemo age 16: Ten days... That makes 14,400 minutes... I wish time would stop right now, that it would stay this way forever.
Anna age 15: They say if you slow your breathing, time slows down. The Hindus say so.

Nemo age 9: [narrating] On that day, i would make a lot of silly decisions.
Nemo age 16: One; I will never leave anything to chance again. Two; I will marry the girl on my motorcycle. Three; I'll be rich. Four; we'll have a house. A big house, painted yellow, with a garden. And two children, Paul and Michael. Five; I'll have a convertible. A red convertible! And a swimming pool, I'll learn to swim. Six; I will not stop until I succeed!

Nemo age 16: [narrating] Probably the worst thing about being on Mars is that nothing will happen there. Time will seem stale and empty.
Man: [looking out over Mars] It doesn't look like there is much to do. I hope I brought enough Sudoku.

[last lines]
Nemo Nobody aged 118: This is the most beautify day of my life. Anna. Anna!

Anna age 15: I want you.
Nemo age 16: I want you too.
Anna age 15: Forever.
Nemo age 16: Forever. There is no life without you.

Nemo's Mother: [about her son Nemo] He has a gift for making people uncomfortable.

Nemo's Mother: You never know what you want.
Nemo age 16: You know what I don't want?
Nemo's Mother: So, Tommy, what is it you don't want?
Nemo age 16: I don't want to be like you.

Elise: [crying] I'm so horrible!
Nemo Nobody adult: No you're not. You're not horrible.
Elise: I can't stand this life anymore!
Nemo Nobody adult: What's the matter? You've got the most incredible kids...
Elise: Don't try to make me feel better, it only makes me feel guiltier! What's wrong with me?

TV host: Now doctor, no trace of his identity has been found in the national records, nothing about his past!
Dr. Feldheim: We don't know who Mr. Nobody is, neither does he. Our patient's memories are confused. But it is not unusual at a certain stage of illness for very old memories to emerge in great detail.

Nemo age 16: [to Harry] It will happen on a Saturday. You will be behind the wheel of your car, you are whistling. You do not see the crossroads. All of a sudden, a train will hit from your left and you will be crushed.
Nemo's Mother: You're not funny!
Nemo's Mother: [turns to Harry] Nemo thinks he can predict the future.
Nemo age 16: I can.
Nemo's Mother: No one can predict the future, no one knows what's going to happen!
Nemo age 16: I do.
Nemo's Mother: [slaps his face] Well if you could, you'd know you were going to get that.
Nemo age 16: I knew you'd say that.

Nemo age 16: How did you know my name?
Elise age 15: We go to the same school. You never notice me, you never notice anyone. Do you have a girlfriend? What, are you queer? Why don't you have a girlfriend?
Nemo age 16: I don't know... I don't want one.
Elise age 15: Do you know how to talk? Well say something.
[waits then starts to leave]
Nemo age 16: Gravity on Mars is 0,38. That's three times less than on Earth. The ground is covered with iron-oxide dust.
Elise age 15: [turns to face Nemo] You're incredible. Raise your hand and say 'I swear'. Promise me that when I die, you'll scatter my ashes on Mars.