Plot Literary Genre: Modern comedy | London, 2022
Main characters
Elen and George are a married couple. They are in their 40s and have failed to have children. She is a supermarket cashier and he is a taxi driver. They own a small house on the edge of the London suburbs and their happiness is congealing because of their daily routine.
They both sense that something is changing, and the passion that has united them for years is fading. Elen especially feels the effects of this stagnant situation, and the temptation to seek new adventures that will take her away from daily boredom becomes stronger and stronger.
The call to adventure
At the end of a long day spent in traffic, George gets distracted and hits an elderly man in a crosswalk. The impact is minor, but the elderly gentleman seems unable to walk. The accident could cost George his taxi driver's license, who is terrified of the possible developments. However, when he realizes that his victim is homeless he decides to take him in instead of sending him to the hospital. The elderly man, named Pier, gladly agrees.
The conflict
Pier is a crackling, energetic old man who comes like an earthquake into George and Elen's lives. With his French accent, old-fashioned manners and some surprising initiatives he upsets the couple's routines. Yet he hides a mysterious past. Elen does not want a stranger in the house (dirty, moreover), and she does not want him to stay in the house alone unsupervised. She fears he is a thief. Pier's presence will raise the tension in the couple.
The key
Slowly Elen will discover in Pier a mentor and support, very funny and very wise at the same time. Pier will prevent Elen from 'falling into temptation' and will teach her many recipes, not only culinary, but also about life, to rekindle her relationship with George. And when George loses his job, it will be Elen who will help him and offer to open a small bistro. Pier will disappear but the couple is back to being happy and in love as in their youth and much will owe to his mysterious guardian angel.
The Alternatives
As with all comedies that rely on a happy ending it is possible to place the events in different periods or different places, what matters is to have a couple in crisis and a mysterious third wheel with odd behavior who will put everything right.
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