The Assignment (2016) Movie Script
I killed
a lot of guys.
They were
worthless pieces of shit,
but I killed them,
and you're not supposed
to kill people.
So what happened to me?
I guess maybe
in the end...
It was a lot better
than what I deserved.
But it takes a long time
to work that out.
In the meantime,
you just want to get even.
hello, Dr. Jane,
I'm Dr. galen.
As you know, I'm here to conduct
an interview on your status,
see how you're doing.
Dr. Ralph galen.
I only recently
found out my case is
under your supervision.
Correct.
A chair please, Hector.
I'll probably be here
about a week.
All for me?
All for you.
As a professional courtesy,
I will refer to you
as doctor even though--
even though I've lost
my medical license.
I suppose I should thank you
for your good manners.
Well, shall we
get started?
Nearly two years ago,
on the night of November 22nd,
the sfpd received
an anonymous call
which lead them
to investigate
what proved to be
multiple murder,
four dead bodies,
and you unconscious--
yes, yes, yes. We all
know about my condition.
Unconscious on
an operating table.
It turned out that you
had set up an illegal
off-the-books surgical clinic
where you performed--
illegal,
off-the-books operations
on those unfortunates
who wanted and needed
medical help
but couldn't afford
the outrageous costs.
An empty gun
was found in the hand
of your surgical assistant,
Albert Becker--
the gun belonged
to frank kitchen.
And the, uh,
ballistics evidence
from Becker's gun
matched the bullets taken
from the dead bodies
as well as the bullet
in your chest.
You were arrested,
charged with multiple crimes,
and at a hearing you were found
mentally unfit for trial.
Absolute bullshit.
The presiding judge
stipulated that you were
to be periodically
evaluated and that,
at the point,
if and when you were judged
to have fully regained
your faculties,
you would be returned
to the remand
of the district attorney,
city of San Francisco,
and bound over
for prosecution.
Do you feel relieved,
now that you've gotten
all that off your shoulders?
Well, first,
I'm especially interested
in your relationship
and involvement
with your brother,
uh, Sebastian.
We were close.
He was a very
special person.
La la la...
Yo. Whitney.
You-- your money's
on the table.
Go home.
And by the way,
you failed miserably
at your chosen vocation.
There wasn't a shred
of stimulation.
Get the fuck out!
I have a copy
of the NYPD's complete file
on your brother's case.
I-- I doubt you've
had access to it.
You'll have
to turn the pages
for me, won't you?
-Ah.
-Thanks to your ridiculous
security requirements.
-Yeah.
-Unless, in the name of mercy,
you could untie the bindings.
I'd still be in your
medieval straightjacket,
but at least I'd have
some degree of control
over the movement
of my arms.
Mmm.
Ha. Oh. Mm-hmm.
La la la...
Hey, maybe
you don't get it.
Or maybe
your bosses don't.
You kill me, you never
get that money back. Never!
I'm sorry, I'm sorry,
I'm sorry!
As you can see, the proper
authorities conducted
a full investigation.
The murder of your brother
Sebastian was obviously
a professional job.
I paid a lot
of money to discover
the killer's identity.
He's a lifetime criminal
who goes by the name
of frank kitchen.
Mm-hmm.
There were rumors
that some form
of street justice
may have been handed out,
but the death
of Sebastian Jane
remains an unsolved murder.
It's now a cold case.
I'm guessing that's been...
Troubling for you?
Assuming there is
such a person,
I want to talk a bit more
about this frank kitchen.
Why would you think
there's no frank kitchen?
I mean, don't be an idiot.
You actually think
i made him up?
I need a room.
If I need maid service,
I'll let you know.
Yeah?
Yeah, I just checked in.
Yeah.
Uh, room 308.
Let's talk for a minute
about honest John baconian.
You obviously found
him useful.
"Honest" John baconian?
"Good king, great king,
and yet not greatly good."
Do you read Shakespeare?
Of course not.
Why do I even ask?
Richard ii, act iv.
Honest John baconian,
was there ever a man
with a more disingenuous name?
Such a darwinian creature.
Right. According
to your initial statements
to the police,
in the past this honest John
supplied you with
impoverished homeless people
against their will
so that you could perform
deviant medical experiments
on them--
I did conduct experiments
to further human knowledge
in areas most fear to go.
And I harmed no one
of any value.
You should change
your line of questioning.
It's good
to see you, Frankie.
It's been a while.
It's two years since
we've done business.
But you're stayin'
in a dump.
Frankie does great work.
Just flew in from Miami.
I called him and he came
in as fast as he could.
I appreciate that
because it shows respect.
You fucking backstabbing
motherfucking chinky.
I don't trust you,
but I love you.
Now I come all the way
down here from my office
to your shitty room to impress
on you how important this is,
how important this is to me.
This man, Benny Hong Lee,
the one we brought
you here to take care of,
this fuckin' chinaman
stole my money,
and now he's trying
to steal my entire operation,
this business that I worked
my entire life to build.
He wants to take it
away just like that.
But we got a problem.
He left town
for a week, Vegas.
I promised my friends
that I wouldn't do
my laundry
in their backyard,
and I always
keep my promise.
That's why they call me
honest John, right?
So we wait.
Give him the bag.
That's $25,000.
You sit, you wait a week,
you do the work.
No mistakes.
You ever wanna get
together again,
this is how you get
ahold of me.
Just give me a call.
My name is Johnnie,
in case you forgot.
Where you from,
Johnnie?
A long way from here.
That's it,
no more questions.
Yeah, well... I'm gonna
leave town real soon.
Don't worry about it.
It's no big deal.
I had forgotten about
her Shakespeare obsession.
First thing she did
after she got here
was send for
the complete works.
You got a little blast
of it, huh?
Yes, my inability to recognize
a quote from Richard ii
was held to be
an unforgivable fault.
She's constantly
reminding me
she's probably
the most clever woman
who ever drew a breath.
Just this morning I got
a nice little lecture on poe.
Poe?
As in Edgar Allan?
Oh, god, is there another?
Do you read poe?
Of course not.
You don't read Shakespeare,
so why would you read
one of our country's greatest
and most influential authors?
Well, when I was a kid
I always liked
the Vincent price movies...
What-- what's the point?
Poe once wrote an essay called
"the philosophy of composition."
In it he develops
his theories about proper art
being indifferent to moral
and political considerations,
that real art
was about its own dynamic
inner relationships
able to stand
on style alone.
You should read it.
I guess I have
to ask this again.
What's the point?
The point,
Dr. galen, is that,
in addition to being
a medical doctor,
i am an artist.
Frankie, baby,
good to see you.
Hey, listen.
We've got a problem.
It doesn't involve
Mr. Benny Hong Lee.
And I really hate
to say this, Frankie,
'cause I like you,
but you made some enemies.
Some bad ones.
Now, I did
a little renegotiating,
and I got a better deal.
I'm now satisfied
that the conditions
are correct
and in place.
Frankie, you should take
it easy on yourself.
Do what I tell ya.
Ugh.
The fuck?
Uhh!
No!
No!
No!
Hey!
Who the shit are you?
You're some kind of
laid-up hooker, right?
You on dope?
Somebody work you over?
I kinda like
that look of yours.
Get out.
I got a right being
in this room, okay?
I own and operate
this joint.
And your screamin'...
Somebody wandering
around in here,
I thought maybe
there might be trouble.
Where'd you
come from, huh?
The guys registered
in this room didn't
tell me nothin'.
You know, you might wanna be
takin' it six or so blocks
out to here, where all
the weirdos hang out?
Probably pull in
a lot more business
down there.
Just bein' friendly.
You keep it down
in here, hey, babe?
Hello, frank.
You can call me
the doctor.
I'm the one
who operated on you.
And the reason
why is simple.
A year and a half ago,
you killed a man
very close to me.
In the handbag I've left
a photograph of him
as a small reminder
of the terrible thing you did.
You should think positive,
maybe even thank me.
You have a new life.
You get to start over.
And this time
you're a woman.
In many ways,
it's often said,
the most splendid
of god's creatures.
I have liberated you
from the macho prison
you've been living in.
I'm an excellent surgeon,
and I'm quite proud of the work
I've done on you.
Your face and body have been
carefully sculpted,
with no visible scars
to the casual observer.
People pay small fortunes
for work that's less good
than what's been done
on you.
But I'm afraid
you'll have to sustain
your new femininity
with hormones.
You'll find everything you
need in the package I've sent.
You should begin with
a premarin immediately,
at first, two per day.
After one week,
add the prevera.
Two per day.
I've also left you some
feminine clothing
and $100 for sundries
while you convalesce.
I understand your current
accommodations
are less than ideal.
Several of my employees
paid the rent.
Your room is taken care of
for the next two weeks.
We left word to leave
you undisturbed.
My generosity allows you
to recuperate at your own pace.
A quote from Hamlet that you
might find inspirational:
"God has given you
one face,
and you make
yourselves another."
Good luck, frank.
You've been a very bad man.
This is your opportunity
for redemption.
Oh, no, honey, you
picked the wrong guy
to try to rip off.
That look of yours,
i kinda like.
I just gotta check out
what you got down there.
Come on, hustle.
Hey! You remember me?
Look, room 3-- room 308.
I need my keys, now.
fuck!
Oh, oh...
Yeah.
All right.
All right.
Okay.
Your medical setup...
The equipment, the nurses,
your private bodyguards...
The costs must have
been enormous.
Say it.
"How did I get
so goddamn rich?"
Okay.
How did you get
so goddamn rich?
My father did well enough
to send me to good schools.
When he died, I received
a reasonable inheritance
which, unlike my brother,
i prudently invested.
Then I went to work.
I was very good
at my profession,
and my practice turned out
to be quite lucrative.
If you're a plastic surgeon,
the sky is the limit.
Then there were issues
with your peers
at mother of mercy?
I had enemies.
Political enemies within
the medical community.
My manner has always
caused me problems
with those less
equipped to keep up.
I was a better surgeon
than any of them.
They hated that.
And I was a woman.
That made it worse.
All right, yes.
When I lost my medical license
i set up an illegal clinic.
Before I often did
plastic surgery for idiots
who wanted a smaller nose,
larger breasts,
sometimes a larger penis--
more to the point,
you then became interested in...
Gender change
operations, yes.
After I could no longer
officially practice,
I discovered
a huge black market
for that kind of surgery.
Most people who want it
don't want to go through
the endless waiting period,
and, in addition,
many times they can't afford
the enormous costs.
And you took advantage.
I was doing
beneficial things,
making people happy,
giving them the medical
attention they wanted.
And it had the added
benefit of financing
my independent research.
In school I was always
at the top of my class.
At the hospital I was always
the best surgeon on staff.
I was always the one
who figured out
a new technique,
a better way
of getting things done.
But all it ever got me
was envy, jealousy,
and now disgrace.
So I became a rogue.
A rogue
on the medical frontier.
And it's lonely
out there, Ralph.
Quite lonely.
Yeah?
Hi, is-- is Johnnie there?
Yeah, this is Johnnie.
It's me, frank.
Frank.
Yeah.
Midnight coffee date frank.
Hey, you remember me, huh?
Yeah, I remember.
Um... you wanna meet
for a coffee?
Sure.
Tonight?
Yeah.
How about we meet
at that place near you?
Same place as before.
Hey, listen.
I, uh...
I don't look the same.
I shaved,
and some other stuff. I, um...
Hey, I gotta get
back to work.
I'm working a double,
so I'll meet you on my break.
Say, ten o' clock?
Yeah, I'll-- I'll
see you tonight.
Frank?
Yeah, it's me.
I look
a little different, huh?
You are different.
A lot different.
I... I don't know
what to say.
So you're a nurse.
Yeah, I guess I forgot
to mention it.
You had plastic surgery,
huh?
Just like some gangster guy
out of an old movie?
You're some kind
of criminal, right?
I had that figured.
I can still tell
it's you, though.
It's okay.
You look all right.
I got into some
real bad shit
with some real bad guys.
I was hoping I could
stay over at your house
for a couple of days.
I promise to stay
out of your way.
I'll even pay you
for it.
No. I don't want
your money.
We're friends.
Fuck buddies.
Yeah, it's
pretty basic here.
I'm not a lot
on fixing places up.
I don't even got a TV.
I like to keep things
to a minimum, you know?
I just need a place
to clear my head.
Figure out what
I'm gonna do.
This is fine.
Stay as long
as you want.
I'll let you know if you
wear out your welcome.
Hey, one thing.
I, um, I started to tell
you that at the diner.
I got problems.
Hey, no pressure.
Suit yourself.
But since it's my place
i keep the bed.
You sleep on the sofa.
I'll get you a blanket
and a sheet.
I keep an extra pillow
in the closet.
It's all clean, so you
don't have to worry
about catching
some disease.
Mi casa es su casa, right?
Anyway, I always trust
my instinct,
you know what I mean?
I'm not sure why, but I feel
kinda connected to you.
Big boys tell me
I'm a little crazy.
I got that for Halloween
a couple years ago.
It's weird, huh?
You-- you thought your life
was in danger?
Clearly there was
that possibility.
Criminal organizations
sometimes try to pass
an unpaid debt along
to other members
of the victim's family.
The men who hired
frank kitchen
to kill my brother
might have turned
him loose on me.
You hired bodyguards.
I did.
Three of them.
I even insisted
on a dress code.
I'm sorry, a dress code?
Yeah. Dark suit,
white shirt and tie.
I, of course, had to buy
their wardrobe for them.
They were all but one
ex-policemen.
But in the end,
all three of them
turned out to be worthless.
Question: If you're rich,
and you loved
your brother so much
and he's in all this trouble
with all the wrong people,
why didn't you just
give him the money he owed?
I did. All of it.
And he went out
and bought paintings
and drugs
and pinball machines.
Gambled and partied,
squandered every penny.
Then he came back,
said he was sorry,
and asked me
for more money.
As a matter of principle,
i said no.
It was a mistake.
So you feel guilty
about his death?
No. Not for a moment.
My brother was a fool,
but he was also a unique,
eccentric, and talented man.
He just never seemed
to find his place
in the grand scheme
of things.
How's it going?
Uh, she's gotten
very chatty.
But evasive.
Keeps a lot of it
theoretical.
Right from the get-go,
as soon as she got here
she was the most anti-social
piss-ant on campus.
No communication, no jokes.
Just death stares
and a wall of ice.
Ladies and gentlemen,
let's give it up
for Dr. Rachel Jane.
Phi beta kappa.
Three degrees with honors.
Never married,
no children, thank god.
Let's see what happens tomorrow
if I turn the heat up a little.
Hello, doctor.
How are we feeling
this morning?
You can release
the arms, Hector.
Thank you.
If you'd indulge me
here for a moment,
I'd like to go back
and review the facts
of this case
as they pertain
to your criminal
involvement.
You're sounding
very serious, Ralph.
I thought we were
becoming friends.
Your brother,
Sebastian Jane,
the semi-celebrity playboy
socialite art collector,
pinball wizard,
occasional art critic,
drug addict, alcoholic,
etc., etc.
A little respect.
He had world-famous collections.
It is believed that
Sebastian Jane was murdered
by certain mob interests
to whom he owed money,
a lot of money,
and then,
according to the police,
there were several rumors
in the criminal world
that you had hired
local racketeers
to find out who the person was
that killed your brother.
This "killer,"
which, according to you
is a professional hitman
named frank kitchen--
now this is
getting tedious.
Help me, doctor.
We have a lot
of dead bodies,
but none of them are
traceable to your
frank kitchen.
Are you really saying
that because my brother
wasn't a very nice person,
that he deserves
to be brutally murdered
by this street trash?
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Wait, wait, you're
creating a straw man.
That is not
what I'm saying,
and you know it.
What are you
saying, Ralph?
You're becoming
such a tiresome bore
and such a confused person
that I find it difficult
to follow your thoughts.
I'm asking you if all this
wasn't really some sort
of classical
psychological transference
of your own personal
inadequacies.
This man you keep talking
about, this frank kitchen,
doesn't even
seem to exist.
That again?
-I mean, really?
-Yes, that again.
Doctor, I had the FBI
do a run on the name.
Nothing.
No frank kitchen,
no professional hitman
or anything even close.
No criminal record,
no fingerprints,
no record
in the armed services,
no driver's license,
no taxes paid.
No passports, nothing.
Dr. Jane.
Was all this because you had
a nonexistent sex life?
You were a kind
of medical wallflower.
The female equivalent of
some guy who was impotent.
Couldn't get it up.
This is just silly.
I've had sex when I wanted
and with whom I wanted
for my entire adult life.
And did you have sex with
your surgical assistant,
Albert Becker?
Yes, quite often.
Any time I wanted.
Oh. It was part
of his job?
He seemed to enjoy it.
I've never concerned myself
with my partner's pleasure.
Just knock one off
and back to your real work.
Yeah, exactly.
I see. To summarize,
in addition
to your academic
and medical achievements,
your personal sex life
has been quite wonderful.
I guess I'll just have
to take your word for it.
Yes, you'll just have
to take my word for it.
Admit it. Your lover,
Albert Becker,
turned out to be
a murderous lunatic,
and there is
no frank kitchen--
I'm sick
of this bullshit!
Don't you dare play
psychiatrist with me,
goddamn it!
There is a frank kitchen!
There is a frank kitchen!
Do you think that you're
some fucking detective?!
You're nothing
more than a cheap,
second-rate bureaucrat!
My name's
frank kitchen.
It's not my real name,
but it's the one
I use for my work.
I'm making this account
of what happened to me.
I don't know.
Consider it a therapy session
for someone that, uh,
never liked talking much.
When I'm done
telling this story,
I'm gonna send it out
to my lawyer in Miami
and he's gonna
put it on ice,
in case after I'm dead
somebody wants to know
what really happened
to frank kitchen.
I got hired to do the job
by a mob rep in Miami.
I did good work.
Why the hell
would they be pissed?
And if they were pissed,
why not just give me a push
instead of this butcher job?
And who was this doctor?
And how was honest John
connected to her?
I had to get back
to the street.
I had to get
to honest John.
But I wasn't ready
to go straight to him.
I had to make sure I could
still make my old moves.
It's hard to go back
to being frank kitchen
when you look like a chick.
I had to tape
my swollen tits.
I had to sit down
to take a piss.
And the goddamn hormones
were making me soft.
If there was anything left
of frank kitchen...
It was his point-blank aim,
and I couldn't wait
to use it.
First guy on the list:
Earl Hawkins.
Long time
on honest John's payroll.
Earl runs the pimps
that run the hookers.
next came two Nicaraguans.
Emece trece guys.
They did a lot of heavy
lifting for honest John
over in the east bay.
Joe caddigan.
Miami said Joe was
honest John's main dope guy.
He imported smack,
and a lot of it.
Nobody was gonna miss him.
Hey, Joe.
Vladimir gorsky.
This guy was some kind
of Russian mafia reject.
He was in charge
of collections
on short-term loans
that honest John made
at sky-high rates.
Gorski's sideline
was raising dogs for fights.
But if a dog don't win,
then he and his trainer
kill the dogs.
You're the one who called
about buying a dog.
Yeah, that's me.
Where did you get
my number?
I got it
from honest John's boys.
Hmm.
What's his name?
We call him poncho.
It'll cost you $2,000.
He's in very good shape.
He's ready to fight.
You show Vladimir
money, huh?
A dog is the only thing
i ever trusted.
A dog doesn't care
if you're rich or poor,
if you're famous
or some bum.
Only thing a dog wants
is to be your buddy.
It's funny how things
work out.
It wasn't part of my plan,
but now I had a dog.
Poncho had some scars
from where they made him fight,
but he was really
just a sweet guy.
Me and poncho were buddies
in no time.
It was the most domestic
I've ever been in my life,
and for some reason
it was okay.
Oh, hey.
How's it going?
You having a good day?
Mine was okay,
despite the head
fucking nurse in c ward
who's got it in for me.
Always on my ass
about something.
Oh, there's this one patient,
this old guy, Jerry.
Every time I try
and change his iv
he always grabs my ass.
I don't mind.
He's sweet and he's
on his way out, so...
Oh, here s a blast
of good news.
No more double shifts,
so I got more free time
if you wanna
hang out more.
I mean, that's
if you want to.
You wanna take off
your clothes?
Okay.
I mean, I'll--
I'll do what I can.
You'll do fine.
last guy on the list.
They told me his name
was Jin tao.
Sometimes you get to say
hello to old friends.
You knock off a guy who you
think is gonna be all alone,
you use the silencer.
You wanna make
as little noise as possible.
But if you figure you're gonna
take on resistance
then leave
the silencer at home.
You wanna let
the sound of the .45
scare the shit
out of them.
Throws off their aim.
How you been?
Hello, doctor.
Hello, Ralph.
Good of you to come.
I know you'll doubt this,
but I actually miss
our little sessions together.
You asked to see me.
I did, but first
I'd like to apologize
for my fit of temper
at our last meeting.
I momentarily lost
my composure.
Apology accepted.
I want to make
a legal deposition
to be filed
with the district
attorney's office.
I'd like to confess.
And for which crimes
you've committed
are you willing
to make these confessions?
All of them, Ralph.
Every single one
that I'm responsible for.
I'm afraid I've been
a very naughty lady.
Would you like to tell me
what you hope to accomplish
-with this deposition?
-Certainly.
The authorities
will clearly see
that I've made great progress
here at the hospital,
but most important,
when I confess it will
cleanse my soul.
I will be born again.
-Home phone?
-None.
Insurance carrier?
I don't have one,
but I can pay cash.
Referring physician?
I found out about
this place from a friend.
And you're here for
a diagnostic consultation?
Yeah. I need to speak
to a real surgery doctor.
You know, a guy who is--
does major surgery.
Are you in any pain?
It's all still
a bit sore.
I, uh, I think I popped
a couple of stitches.
Who was your surgeon?
I can't remember
right now.
Well, he seems to have
done a fine job,
so why aren't you talking
to him about this?
Well, I can't afford
the plane fare, for one.
Where? Colorado?
The clinic there in Denver?
They do wonderful work.
Yeah, that's right.
The transgender programs
that I'm aware of
all have very thorough
screening processes.
How long have you been
living as a transsexual?
For a few months.
Ordinarily, there's
a requirement of functioning
for at least a year
in the transgender role
before an actual surgery
is performed.
Did they not
insist upon that?
Yeah, well, that's--
that's the thing.
Um... I um... I thought
i wanted it, so I...
You know, I told them what
i knew they wanted to hear.
You should never let
embarrassment prevent you
from taking the best possible
care you can of your body.
It's your obligation
to yourself.
Now, I'd like you to call
a counselor that I know.
She's part of
a very good therapy group.
You can use my name
as a referral.
I don't want a counselor.
I don't need group therapy.
Can the operation
be reversed?
And if that's not
possible then...
Can I get off
with whatever this is?
It usually takes
six months to a year
to develop
sensation again.
Look, I just want to know
if I can go back to being a guy.
Medically, other than
the breast implants,
it's too soon to even
consider another procedure.
I'd be irresponsible
in advising you otherwise,
and no reputable physician
will operate on you again
without at least six months
of intensive therapy.
Can I go back
to being a guy?
Again, the implants,
that's not a problem.
But beyond that,
to the best of my knowledge,
there is no procedure that
will completely restore you
back to your former self.
Cosmetically, yes,
something can be done.
But it won't
be functional.
What it sounds like
you're asking for
is currently
medically impossible.
So that was it.
This was the way
it was gonna be.
I was gonna be a chick
except for in my head,
so get used to it.
Two people.
One's a beauty and one's
an i-don't-know what.
I'm still trying to figure
you out, and I don't get it.
But, you know, look
at the bright side.
The cops are never gonna
come looking for you
being a guy,
so maybe being a girl's
the best way to stay
out of prison.
I've been
thinking about this.
You could
change your name.
Get a fake passport, papers,
go to Mexico
or Costa Rica or Brazil,
some place where people
hide out, you know?
Nobody would find you.
I'm sure you know somebody
who can get you a fake ID.
What about you?
You want me
to go with you?
No.
Haven't I made
enough trouble for you?
All right, let's proceed.
We'll begin
with the formalities.
It's February 3rd,
3:00 in the afternoon.
I'm Paul wincott,
deputy district attorney
for Alameda county, California.
This hearing will be visually
recorded as well as transcribed
by a duly appointed stenographer
for the supreme court
of the state of California
under the jurisdiction
of the honorable
judge Thomas vancleeve.
Doctor, now it's
my understanding
that you'd like to make
an opening statement
before we proceed with
a series of questions
pertaining to your case.
This is a confession.
It has very little to do
with the dead bodies
you found at my clinic.
They were simply
collateral damage.
My confession deals
with the professional killer
frank kitchen, or whatever
his real name is.
Contrary to my oath
as a physician
and all civilized
medical standards,
I performed unwanted
and unnecessary radical surgery
on Mr. kitchen, whom I admit
was a completely unknowing
and unwilling patient.
I did it partially
for deeply personal reasons.
He had murdered someone
very close to me,
and in return,
my first instinct was basic.
I wanted
to cause frank kitchen
enormous psychic pain.
I want you
to understand this,
and the record
will bear me out.
I'm hugely sympathetic
to those who want
and choose to participate
in gender reassignment,
but normally that would
never include frank kitchen.
He was by all accounts
the type of man who reveled
in murderous activities,
as well as his masculinity.
But, as time went by,
the more I thought
about the situation,
I changed my mind
about the man.
He was an abandoned child who
had become a ward of the state,
condemned to live
on the streets at an early age.
I have the traditional
romantic nostalgia for the idea
that everyone should
have a second chance,
but I'm also a doctor,
a scientist,
in a way an artist.
I decided I wouldn't
and couldn't do
something simply
for revenge,
so I also performed the surgery
partially as an experiment.
I wanted to reinforce
the theory that,
if gender is identity,
then even the most extreme
surgical procedure
will fail to alter the essence,
and this proved to be true.
Frank kitchen is still
very much the man he was
because he believes himself
to be the man he was.
So you see, my experiment
was a success and a failure.
My Sincere hope
for his redemption was naive.
Frank kitchen went
right back to the gun.
He went right back
to killing.
I also want to confess
to the crime of hubris,
to the unforgivable crime
of an overweening estimation
of my own worth.
However, having said that,
I find myself
at a philosophical crossroads.
Whereas I'm aware
of my own inadequacy
in the grand scheme
of things,
simultaneously I find myself
the prisoner of lesser minds.
I have dared to defy
conventional morality,
but the true individual
has always had to struggle
with being overwhelmed
by the tribe, and no price,
even this imprisonment
and indignity,
is too high to pay
for the privilege
of owning yourself.
On your terms,
i am sorry for nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
I am proud
of the experimental work
I was doing
for the benefit of every
living human being.
Sometimes harsh methods
have to be used
on the road to progress.
That is my statement.
I will answer
no questions.
None of you are
worth my time.
Now take me
back to my cell.
It wasn't like
honest John was
a hard guy to find.
He kept a crappy
old back alley office
in this dry goods store.
He even kept regular hours.
He's got bodyguards,
but no security cameras.
Honest John doesn't
want any record
of who comes to see him
or who he's been
talking to.
The best thing you can have
going for you
is the element of surprise.
So how do you get that back
when your target already
knows he's being hunted?
11:00 am, broad daylight.
The place where they work.
It's where they feel safe.
It's where you get back
the element of surprise.
Hey, this is
a freight elevator--
Whoa!
Wait, wait, wait,
wait, wait, wait.
Who the fuck are you?
Frank kitchen.
I stashed Mr. honest John
in the basement,
cleaned up the bodies,
and then I had
a few questions for him.
I wanna know
what happened.
Why'd you
turn me over?
How I got like this.
I want details, John,
and I don't have
a lot of time.
But I brought
this along.
You won't need it.
The doctor pays me 25 grand,
I bring her people
to operate on.
It's not easy, you know,
finding people like that,
somebody that nobody's gonna
miss when they disappear.
You don't want
the cops coming around
and asking questions, right?
One more time.
Why me?
Tsk.
This is how it came down.
The doctor wanted you.
But to tell you the truth,
i had it in for you, too.
You did a job
in Vegas a year ago.
The guy you pushed
was a cousin of mine.
It was a family thing.
Look, my cousin is
a fuckin' douchebag,
but the family went nuts.
They call me, they think
I'm some kind of big shot.
What am I gonna
do about it?
When am I gonna
do something?
So I ask around.
I find out you were
the guy that did the push.
I feel bad,
but what am I gonna do?
Then the doctor calls me
and she tells me what she needs,
so I figure
i can kill two birds.
I hire you, I'm square
with my family,
the doctor gets what
she wants, I get what I want.
Too bad you lose,
but everybody else wins.
I wanna hear more
about this doctor.
She makes her money
doing cut-rate surgery.
Somebody told me
they pulled her license
a couple of years ago.
We're not buddies.
She keeps
her distance.
You wanna know
about the doctor,
you should ask
your girlfriend.
Say that again?
You heard me.
What, you think
you just ran into her
in that bar?
What a fuckin' dumb shit.
I thought you
was a smart guy.
But I guess the little head
took over the big head.
Happens all the time.
She followed you
from the hotel.
She picks you up,
she gives you a fuck,
she reports
in to the doctor.
That way they can keep
an eye on you down the line.
She's a nurse, right?
Nurses work for doctors.
Yeah, you're right.
Have one.
I think I'm gonna take
a shower first.
I've had kind of
a rough day.
Come over here.
Sit down.
I poured you a drink.
I do something wrong?
Yeah, you did.
Cheers.
I had a long talk
with honest John.
I did it
because I thought
they'd break
my arms and legs,
maybe kill me
if I didn't.
If I try to tell you
the whole story,
it's just gonna sound
like some pathetic attempt
at an excuse, right?
Fuck it.
Go ahead and do it.
If I were you
i wouldn't push my luck!
How did you get involved
with these shits?
Oh, god, I met a guy.
He was one of honest John's
bodyguards.
He's big, mean, and no good.
Just my type.
He went to go work
for the doctor,
and he talked me into making
some extra money.
I provided the drugs.
Anything the doctor couldn't
get without a prescription,
I had plenty of access to
at the hospital.
You'd be amazed how easy
it is for me to grab the stuff.
I really am a nurse.
I want you to get that.
I really needed the money
and they paid a lot and...
I only met the doctor
a few times.
I never did know
her real name.
She told me
what she was doing
wasn't exactly by the book
but she said
that they would be
making experiments
that would be helping
a lot of people
and she's a real doctor
and a good talker
and let's face it,
it was a really
fucked-up period in my life.
I usually got my orders
from Albert.
He's a nurse,
but not like me.
He's a surgical nurse.
They're a lot
more skilled, okay?
He's-- oh, god,
he's a bastard. Real mean.
He did hard time
for some sex charge.
He's got this deal
with the doctor.
He's real hung up on hookers,
and she pays for them.
I guess it's a reward
for his good work.
He likes 'em
kinda kinky, you know?
Real exotic.
What about me?
I'm just supposed
to keep an eye on you.
Albert's called a few times
to check in so far, that's it.
End of story.
The safe thing to do...
Is to kill you.
I didn't kill her,
but it was goodbye Johnnie.
I gave her some dough
and I put her on a bus to Reno
the next morning.
She had some friends there.
I told her to give me
three weeks.
If she didn't hear from me,
she could come back
to her place
and I'll be long gone.
Poncho.
Gracias, huh?
Mucho.
When I put Johnnie
on the bus, I told her
to make a phone call
for me from Reno.
She promised
she wouldn't let me down.
I believed her.
Hello, sweetie.
Well, they said
you were a hottie.
Just my type.
Whoa, whoa, whoa,
take it easy, take it easy,
nobody's gotta get hurt.
Did you really think we
were gonna fuckin' fall
for that phone call
from Johnnie?
Bring her over here.
Hold her still.
Nighty night.
Wow.
It looks like the new model
frank kitchen.
Well, frank, I hope
you got some rest.
Hey, frank.
If you get thirsty
you can crawl over here.
Thank you, Albert.
That will be all.
It might interest
you to know, frank,
that this old hotel
was the site
of many, many
a sinful party
back around the time
of the big earthquake.
All the rich people
used to dance
and romance there.
If these walls
could talk...
Much better.
You need
a more natural look
to bring out
your best features.
I did a good job
on you, didn't I?
You're really
quite beautiful
in a waitress/
shopgirl kind of way.
But I don't want
to be picky.
You certainly qualify
as an attractive woman.
But inside your head,
I can see you really haven't
made any progress.
Still a killer.
Still a street animal.
Still a macho man.
I gave you a new
chance in life
and you wasted
that opportunity.
I realize you don't understand
what this is all about.
Such a complicated series
of events and misfortunes.
I'm just wasting
words with you.
Surgery at 10:00 tonight.
hello, frank.
Get him undressed
while I get set up.
I got three injections
to give him.
I don't wanna check his
blood pressure until he's out.
You're lucky to have such
a good surgeon, frank.
I'm sure she'll do
an excellent job on your arm.
Oh, I spoiled
the surprise.
She's gonna take your right arm
off at the shoulder
and give you a nice
little flipper.
Just like a seal.
Fuck, I can do it!
Won't be holding a gun
with that hand anymore.
The doctor seems to think
that's a good thing.
Makes the world
a safer place.
I'm a cold guy.
You make a living
the way I do,
you learn to keep
a hold of yourself.
You panic, you make mistakes,
you're dead.
Nice tits, huh?
She did a good job.
Why don't you take
a look at this?
Bet you haven't
seen one of these
that you didn't have
to pay for in a long time.
Aah!
I think you're
out of bullets.
So, what do we do now?
I think I'm actually
a bit of a coward
when it comes to life
and death situations.
I assume the men
who work for me are...
Dead.
I have an idea.
I think we should
call it quits.
You walk away
into the night,
I'll pull
a disappearing act of my own,
and, sad to say, we'll never
see each other again.
Over.
Quits.
I don't think so.
You see, you never know
when you're gonna need
one of these.
I can't believe it.
Everything's coming apart.
All my work.
Falling to pieces.
Do you like
my little humidifier?
It's uh... 150 years old.
Made in Edinburgh.
Still runs
like a charm.
Don't shoot me, frank.
I never beg,
but so much of what I do
is for the good.
After I wiped my prints,
there was just one more thing
i had to do.
I called the cops
from a phone
in the back of the bar
about a block away.
I told them to send
an ambulance over
to take care
of the doctor.
There wasn't any trial.
It wasn't even too big
a story in the paper
or on the news.
They just sent the doctor
off to the nut house.
Hello, Ralph.
Doctor.
You've come
to say goodbye.
Yes, yes, I have.
Before we say sweet
sentimental things
to each other,
I have to ask
what you thought of
yesterday's hearing.
I thought it was
cheap theatrics
by someone desperate
for attention.
And finally I thought it was
a performance of no consequence.
What I see is simply
a doctor who broke her oath,
a doctor who was found
in a building
with four dead bodies--
I killed none
of the four.
No, your surrogate
Albert Becker did,
but you built
the theater
where the tragedy
could play out.
Bullshit.
Albert was no angel,
but he never killed anyone.
You invented
frank kitchen
to protect the memory
of Albert Becker.
I tried to help
frank kitchen,
but the fact remains
he killed all four,
then he shot me,
and proceeded to do
other vile things.
You're
completely wrong.
It makes me
so angry and sad.
Goodbye, Ralph.
I see. I see.
You show me once again
how very clever you are,
and then-- then it's
adios muchacho.
Mm. No, not that easy.
I wanna know what you've
been trying to pull off
from the get-go.
What's your agenda?
I'm just gonna
stand here...
Until I get an answer.
All right.
It took me a long time
to recover from my wounds,
but after two years
in this hell hole
I decided to put up
a fight.
If you could be
manipulated properly,
maybe I'd get out of
this miserable facility
and rightly end up
in front of a judge and jury.
I'd hire myself some
hotshot lawyers
and hope for 12 men
and women, good and true,
who would appreciate my vision
of a a better world.
I buy the plan.
But you blew it
in the hearing.
After I lost my temper
and attacked you,
I knew it was game over.
A trial would be
one long misery
with a predictable end,
resulting in an even
greater humiliation.
So I decided
to accept my fate,
but I wanted there to be
a statement of the truth.
I wanted it to be
on the record
in case anyone ever cares
to look for the facts.
Now I'll return to my books
and my private thoughts.
Goodbye to out there
and all that.
Goodnight, room.
Goodnight, moon.
Go fuck yourself, Ralph.
Adios muchacho,
and be on your way.
I still feel bad
about Johnnie.
Although she screwed me over,
i really liked her.
She stayed working
in Reno.
I think it was
the best thing for her.
A new city, new place to live,
a fresh start.
Yeah, I think it worked out
for the best.
One more thing.
The doctor.
I used to be a guy.
A real bad guy.
Then things changed.
Now I look at the cards
I got dealt in a different way.
One thing's for sure.
Change is gonna come.
a lot of guys.
They were
worthless pieces of shit,
but I killed them,
and you're not supposed
to kill people.
So what happened to me?
I guess maybe
in the end...
It was a lot better
than what I deserved.
But it takes a long time
to work that out.
In the meantime,
you just want to get even.
hello, Dr. Jane,
I'm Dr. galen.
As you know, I'm here to conduct
an interview on your status,
see how you're doing.
Dr. Ralph galen.
I only recently
found out my case is
under your supervision.
Correct.
A chair please, Hector.
I'll probably be here
about a week.
All for me?
All for you.
As a professional courtesy,
I will refer to you
as doctor even though--
even though I've lost
my medical license.
I suppose I should thank you
for your good manners.
Well, shall we
get started?
Nearly two years ago,
on the night of November 22nd,
the sfpd received
an anonymous call
which lead them
to investigate
what proved to be
multiple murder,
four dead bodies,
and you unconscious--
yes, yes, yes. We all
know about my condition.
Unconscious on
an operating table.
It turned out that you
had set up an illegal
off-the-books surgical clinic
where you performed--
illegal,
off-the-books operations
on those unfortunates
who wanted and needed
medical help
but couldn't afford
the outrageous costs.
An empty gun
was found in the hand
of your surgical assistant,
Albert Becker--
the gun belonged
to frank kitchen.
And the, uh,
ballistics evidence
from Becker's gun
matched the bullets taken
from the dead bodies
as well as the bullet
in your chest.
You were arrested,
charged with multiple crimes,
and at a hearing you were found
mentally unfit for trial.
Absolute bullshit.
The presiding judge
stipulated that you were
to be periodically
evaluated and that,
at the point,
if and when you were judged
to have fully regained
your faculties,
you would be returned
to the remand
of the district attorney,
city of San Francisco,
and bound over
for prosecution.
Do you feel relieved,
now that you've gotten
all that off your shoulders?
Well, first,
I'm especially interested
in your relationship
and involvement
with your brother,
uh, Sebastian.
We were close.
He was a very
special person.
La la la...
Yo. Whitney.
You-- your money's
on the table.
Go home.
And by the way,
you failed miserably
at your chosen vocation.
There wasn't a shred
of stimulation.
Get the fuck out!
I have a copy
of the NYPD's complete file
on your brother's case.
I-- I doubt you've
had access to it.
You'll have
to turn the pages
for me, won't you?
-Ah.
-Thanks to your ridiculous
security requirements.
-Yeah.
-Unless, in the name of mercy,
you could untie the bindings.
I'd still be in your
medieval straightjacket,
but at least I'd have
some degree of control
over the movement
of my arms.
Mmm.
Ha. Oh. Mm-hmm.
La la la...
Hey, maybe
you don't get it.
Or maybe
your bosses don't.
You kill me, you never
get that money back. Never!
I'm sorry, I'm sorry,
I'm sorry!
As you can see, the proper
authorities conducted
a full investigation.
The murder of your brother
Sebastian was obviously
a professional job.
I paid a lot
of money to discover
the killer's identity.
He's a lifetime criminal
who goes by the name
of frank kitchen.
Mm-hmm.
There were rumors
that some form
of street justice
may have been handed out,
but the death
of Sebastian Jane
remains an unsolved murder.
It's now a cold case.
I'm guessing that's been...
Troubling for you?
Assuming there is
such a person,
I want to talk a bit more
about this frank kitchen.
Why would you think
there's no frank kitchen?
I mean, don't be an idiot.
You actually think
i made him up?
I need a room.
If I need maid service,
I'll let you know.
Yeah?
Yeah, I just checked in.
Yeah.
Uh, room 308.
Let's talk for a minute
about honest John baconian.
You obviously found
him useful.
"Honest" John baconian?
"Good king, great king,
and yet not greatly good."
Do you read Shakespeare?
Of course not.
Why do I even ask?
Richard ii, act iv.
Honest John baconian,
was there ever a man
with a more disingenuous name?
Such a darwinian creature.
Right. According
to your initial statements
to the police,
in the past this honest John
supplied you with
impoverished homeless people
against their will
so that you could perform
deviant medical experiments
on them--
I did conduct experiments
to further human knowledge
in areas most fear to go.
And I harmed no one
of any value.
You should change
your line of questioning.
It's good
to see you, Frankie.
It's been a while.
It's two years since
we've done business.
But you're stayin'
in a dump.
Frankie does great work.
Just flew in from Miami.
I called him and he came
in as fast as he could.
I appreciate that
because it shows respect.
You fucking backstabbing
motherfucking chinky.
I don't trust you,
but I love you.
Now I come all the way
down here from my office
to your shitty room to impress
on you how important this is,
how important this is to me.
This man, Benny Hong Lee,
the one we brought
you here to take care of,
this fuckin' chinaman
stole my money,
and now he's trying
to steal my entire operation,
this business that I worked
my entire life to build.
He wants to take it
away just like that.
But we got a problem.
He left town
for a week, Vegas.
I promised my friends
that I wouldn't do
my laundry
in their backyard,
and I always
keep my promise.
That's why they call me
honest John, right?
So we wait.
Give him the bag.
That's $25,000.
You sit, you wait a week,
you do the work.
No mistakes.
You ever wanna get
together again,
this is how you get
ahold of me.
Just give me a call.
My name is Johnnie,
in case you forgot.
Where you from,
Johnnie?
A long way from here.
That's it,
no more questions.
Yeah, well... I'm gonna
leave town real soon.
Don't worry about it.
It's no big deal.
I had forgotten about
her Shakespeare obsession.
First thing she did
after she got here
was send for
the complete works.
You got a little blast
of it, huh?
Yes, my inability to recognize
a quote from Richard ii
was held to be
an unforgivable fault.
She's constantly
reminding me
she's probably
the most clever woman
who ever drew a breath.
Just this morning I got
a nice little lecture on poe.
Poe?
As in Edgar Allan?
Oh, god, is there another?
Do you read poe?
Of course not.
You don't read Shakespeare,
so why would you read
one of our country's greatest
and most influential authors?
Well, when I was a kid
I always liked
the Vincent price movies...
What-- what's the point?
Poe once wrote an essay called
"the philosophy of composition."
In it he develops
his theories about proper art
being indifferent to moral
and political considerations,
that real art
was about its own dynamic
inner relationships
able to stand
on style alone.
You should read it.
I guess I have
to ask this again.
What's the point?
The point,
Dr. galen, is that,
in addition to being
a medical doctor,
i am an artist.
Frankie, baby,
good to see you.
Hey, listen.
We've got a problem.
It doesn't involve
Mr. Benny Hong Lee.
And I really hate
to say this, Frankie,
'cause I like you,
but you made some enemies.
Some bad ones.
Now, I did
a little renegotiating,
and I got a better deal.
I'm now satisfied
that the conditions
are correct
and in place.
Frankie, you should take
it easy on yourself.
Do what I tell ya.
Ugh.
The fuck?
Uhh!
No!
No!
No!
Hey!
Who the shit are you?
You're some kind of
laid-up hooker, right?
You on dope?
Somebody work you over?
I kinda like
that look of yours.
Get out.
I got a right being
in this room, okay?
I own and operate
this joint.
And your screamin'...
Somebody wandering
around in here,
I thought maybe
there might be trouble.
Where'd you
come from, huh?
The guys registered
in this room didn't
tell me nothin'.
You know, you might wanna be
takin' it six or so blocks
out to here, where all
the weirdos hang out?
Probably pull in
a lot more business
down there.
Just bein' friendly.
You keep it down
in here, hey, babe?
Hello, frank.
You can call me
the doctor.
I'm the one
who operated on you.
And the reason
why is simple.
A year and a half ago,
you killed a man
very close to me.
In the handbag I've left
a photograph of him
as a small reminder
of the terrible thing you did.
You should think positive,
maybe even thank me.
You have a new life.
You get to start over.
And this time
you're a woman.
In many ways,
it's often said,
the most splendid
of god's creatures.
I have liberated you
from the macho prison
you've been living in.
I'm an excellent surgeon,
and I'm quite proud of the work
I've done on you.
Your face and body have been
carefully sculpted,
with no visible scars
to the casual observer.
People pay small fortunes
for work that's less good
than what's been done
on you.
But I'm afraid
you'll have to sustain
your new femininity
with hormones.
You'll find everything you
need in the package I've sent.
You should begin with
a premarin immediately,
at first, two per day.
After one week,
add the prevera.
Two per day.
I've also left you some
feminine clothing
and $100 for sundries
while you convalesce.
I understand your current
accommodations
are less than ideal.
Several of my employees
paid the rent.
Your room is taken care of
for the next two weeks.
We left word to leave
you undisturbed.
My generosity allows you
to recuperate at your own pace.
A quote from Hamlet that you
might find inspirational:
"God has given you
one face,
and you make
yourselves another."
Good luck, frank.
You've been a very bad man.
This is your opportunity
for redemption.
Oh, no, honey, you
picked the wrong guy
to try to rip off.
That look of yours,
i kinda like.
I just gotta check out
what you got down there.
Come on, hustle.
Hey! You remember me?
Look, room 3-- room 308.
I need my keys, now.
fuck!
Oh, oh...
Yeah.
All right.
All right.
Okay.
Your medical setup...
The equipment, the nurses,
your private bodyguards...
The costs must have
been enormous.
Say it.
"How did I get
so goddamn rich?"
Okay.
How did you get
so goddamn rich?
My father did well enough
to send me to good schools.
When he died, I received
a reasonable inheritance
which, unlike my brother,
i prudently invested.
Then I went to work.
I was very good
at my profession,
and my practice turned out
to be quite lucrative.
If you're a plastic surgeon,
the sky is the limit.
Then there were issues
with your peers
at mother of mercy?
I had enemies.
Political enemies within
the medical community.
My manner has always
caused me problems
with those less
equipped to keep up.
I was a better surgeon
than any of them.
They hated that.
And I was a woman.
That made it worse.
All right, yes.
When I lost my medical license
i set up an illegal clinic.
Before I often did
plastic surgery for idiots
who wanted a smaller nose,
larger breasts,
sometimes a larger penis--
more to the point,
you then became interested in...
Gender change
operations, yes.
After I could no longer
officially practice,
I discovered
a huge black market
for that kind of surgery.
Most people who want it
don't want to go through
the endless waiting period,
and, in addition,
many times they can't afford
the enormous costs.
And you took advantage.
I was doing
beneficial things,
making people happy,
giving them the medical
attention they wanted.
And it had the added
benefit of financing
my independent research.
In school I was always
at the top of my class.
At the hospital I was always
the best surgeon on staff.
I was always the one
who figured out
a new technique,
a better way
of getting things done.
But all it ever got me
was envy, jealousy,
and now disgrace.
So I became a rogue.
A rogue
on the medical frontier.
And it's lonely
out there, Ralph.
Quite lonely.
Yeah?
Hi, is-- is Johnnie there?
Yeah, this is Johnnie.
It's me, frank.
Frank.
Yeah.
Midnight coffee date frank.
Hey, you remember me, huh?
Yeah, I remember.
Um... you wanna meet
for a coffee?
Sure.
Tonight?
Yeah.
How about we meet
at that place near you?
Same place as before.
Hey, listen.
I, uh...
I don't look the same.
I shaved,
and some other stuff. I, um...
Hey, I gotta get
back to work.
I'm working a double,
so I'll meet you on my break.
Say, ten o' clock?
Yeah, I'll-- I'll
see you tonight.
Frank?
Yeah, it's me.
I look
a little different, huh?
You are different.
A lot different.
I... I don't know
what to say.
So you're a nurse.
Yeah, I guess I forgot
to mention it.
You had plastic surgery,
huh?
Just like some gangster guy
out of an old movie?
You're some kind
of criminal, right?
I had that figured.
I can still tell
it's you, though.
It's okay.
You look all right.
I got into some
real bad shit
with some real bad guys.
I was hoping I could
stay over at your house
for a couple of days.
I promise to stay
out of your way.
I'll even pay you
for it.
No. I don't want
your money.
We're friends.
Fuck buddies.
Yeah, it's
pretty basic here.
I'm not a lot
on fixing places up.
I don't even got a TV.
I like to keep things
to a minimum, you know?
I just need a place
to clear my head.
Figure out what
I'm gonna do.
This is fine.
Stay as long
as you want.
I'll let you know if you
wear out your welcome.
Hey, one thing.
I, um, I started to tell
you that at the diner.
I got problems.
Hey, no pressure.
Suit yourself.
But since it's my place
i keep the bed.
You sleep on the sofa.
I'll get you a blanket
and a sheet.
I keep an extra pillow
in the closet.
It's all clean, so you
don't have to worry
about catching
some disease.
Mi casa es su casa, right?
Anyway, I always trust
my instinct,
you know what I mean?
I'm not sure why, but I feel
kinda connected to you.
Big boys tell me
I'm a little crazy.
I got that for Halloween
a couple years ago.
It's weird, huh?
You-- you thought your life
was in danger?
Clearly there was
that possibility.
Criminal organizations
sometimes try to pass
an unpaid debt along
to other members
of the victim's family.
The men who hired
frank kitchen
to kill my brother
might have turned
him loose on me.
You hired bodyguards.
I did.
Three of them.
I even insisted
on a dress code.
I'm sorry, a dress code?
Yeah. Dark suit,
white shirt and tie.
I, of course, had to buy
their wardrobe for them.
They were all but one
ex-policemen.
But in the end,
all three of them
turned out to be worthless.
Question: If you're rich,
and you loved
your brother so much
and he's in all this trouble
with all the wrong people,
why didn't you just
give him the money he owed?
I did. All of it.
And he went out
and bought paintings
and drugs
and pinball machines.
Gambled and partied,
squandered every penny.
Then he came back,
said he was sorry,
and asked me
for more money.
As a matter of principle,
i said no.
It was a mistake.
So you feel guilty
about his death?
No. Not for a moment.
My brother was a fool,
but he was also a unique,
eccentric, and talented man.
He just never seemed
to find his place
in the grand scheme
of things.
How's it going?
Uh, she's gotten
very chatty.
But evasive.
Keeps a lot of it
theoretical.
Right from the get-go,
as soon as she got here
she was the most anti-social
piss-ant on campus.
No communication, no jokes.
Just death stares
and a wall of ice.
Ladies and gentlemen,
let's give it up
for Dr. Rachel Jane.
Phi beta kappa.
Three degrees with honors.
Never married,
no children, thank god.
Let's see what happens tomorrow
if I turn the heat up a little.
Hello, doctor.
How are we feeling
this morning?
You can release
the arms, Hector.
Thank you.
If you'd indulge me
here for a moment,
I'd like to go back
and review the facts
of this case
as they pertain
to your criminal
involvement.
You're sounding
very serious, Ralph.
I thought we were
becoming friends.
Your brother,
Sebastian Jane,
the semi-celebrity playboy
socialite art collector,
pinball wizard,
occasional art critic,
drug addict, alcoholic,
etc., etc.
A little respect.
He had world-famous collections.
It is believed that
Sebastian Jane was murdered
by certain mob interests
to whom he owed money,
a lot of money,
and then,
according to the police,
there were several rumors
in the criminal world
that you had hired
local racketeers
to find out who the person was
that killed your brother.
This "killer,"
which, according to you
is a professional hitman
named frank kitchen--
now this is
getting tedious.
Help me, doctor.
We have a lot
of dead bodies,
but none of them are
traceable to your
frank kitchen.
Are you really saying
that because my brother
wasn't a very nice person,
that he deserves
to be brutally murdered
by this street trash?
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Wait, wait, you're
creating a straw man.
That is not
what I'm saying,
and you know it.
What are you
saying, Ralph?
You're becoming
such a tiresome bore
and such a confused person
that I find it difficult
to follow your thoughts.
I'm asking you if all this
wasn't really some sort
of classical
psychological transference
of your own personal
inadequacies.
This man you keep talking
about, this frank kitchen,
doesn't even
seem to exist.
That again?
-I mean, really?
-Yes, that again.
Doctor, I had the FBI
do a run on the name.
Nothing.
No frank kitchen,
no professional hitman
or anything even close.
No criminal record,
no fingerprints,
no record
in the armed services,
no driver's license,
no taxes paid.
No passports, nothing.
Dr. Jane.
Was all this because you had
a nonexistent sex life?
You were a kind
of medical wallflower.
The female equivalent of
some guy who was impotent.
Couldn't get it up.
This is just silly.
I've had sex when I wanted
and with whom I wanted
for my entire adult life.
And did you have sex with
your surgical assistant,
Albert Becker?
Yes, quite often.
Any time I wanted.
Oh. It was part
of his job?
He seemed to enjoy it.
I've never concerned myself
with my partner's pleasure.
Just knock one off
and back to your real work.
Yeah, exactly.
I see. To summarize,
in addition
to your academic
and medical achievements,
your personal sex life
has been quite wonderful.
I guess I'll just have
to take your word for it.
Yes, you'll just have
to take my word for it.
Admit it. Your lover,
Albert Becker,
turned out to be
a murderous lunatic,
and there is
no frank kitchen--
I'm sick
of this bullshit!
Don't you dare play
psychiatrist with me,
goddamn it!
There is a frank kitchen!
There is a frank kitchen!
Do you think that you're
some fucking detective?!
You're nothing
more than a cheap,
second-rate bureaucrat!
My name's
frank kitchen.
It's not my real name,
but it's the one
I use for my work.
I'm making this account
of what happened to me.
I don't know.
Consider it a therapy session
for someone that, uh,
never liked talking much.
When I'm done
telling this story,
I'm gonna send it out
to my lawyer in Miami
and he's gonna
put it on ice,
in case after I'm dead
somebody wants to know
what really happened
to frank kitchen.
I got hired to do the job
by a mob rep in Miami.
I did good work.
Why the hell
would they be pissed?
And if they were pissed,
why not just give me a push
instead of this butcher job?
And who was this doctor?
And how was honest John
connected to her?
I had to get back
to the street.
I had to get
to honest John.
But I wasn't ready
to go straight to him.
I had to make sure I could
still make my old moves.
It's hard to go back
to being frank kitchen
when you look like a chick.
I had to tape
my swollen tits.
I had to sit down
to take a piss.
And the goddamn hormones
were making me soft.
If there was anything left
of frank kitchen...
It was his point-blank aim,
and I couldn't wait
to use it.
First guy on the list:
Earl Hawkins.
Long time
on honest John's payroll.
Earl runs the pimps
that run the hookers.
next came two Nicaraguans.
Emece trece guys.
They did a lot of heavy
lifting for honest John
over in the east bay.
Joe caddigan.
Miami said Joe was
honest John's main dope guy.
He imported smack,
and a lot of it.
Nobody was gonna miss him.
Hey, Joe.
Vladimir gorsky.
This guy was some kind
of Russian mafia reject.
He was in charge
of collections
on short-term loans
that honest John made
at sky-high rates.
Gorski's sideline
was raising dogs for fights.
But if a dog don't win,
then he and his trainer
kill the dogs.
You're the one who called
about buying a dog.
Yeah, that's me.
Where did you get
my number?
I got it
from honest John's boys.
Hmm.
What's his name?
We call him poncho.
It'll cost you $2,000.
He's in very good shape.
He's ready to fight.
You show Vladimir
money, huh?
A dog is the only thing
i ever trusted.
A dog doesn't care
if you're rich or poor,
if you're famous
or some bum.
Only thing a dog wants
is to be your buddy.
It's funny how things
work out.
It wasn't part of my plan,
but now I had a dog.
Poncho had some scars
from where they made him fight,
but he was really
just a sweet guy.
Me and poncho were buddies
in no time.
It was the most domestic
I've ever been in my life,
and for some reason
it was okay.
Oh, hey.
How's it going?
You having a good day?
Mine was okay,
despite the head
fucking nurse in c ward
who's got it in for me.
Always on my ass
about something.
Oh, there's this one patient,
this old guy, Jerry.
Every time I try
and change his iv
he always grabs my ass.
I don't mind.
He's sweet and he's
on his way out, so...
Oh, here s a blast
of good news.
No more double shifts,
so I got more free time
if you wanna
hang out more.
I mean, that's
if you want to.
You wanna take off
your clothes?
Okay.
I mean, I'll--
I'll do what I can.
You'll do fine.
last guy on the list.
They told me his name
was Jin tao.
Sometimes you get to say
hello to old friends.
You knock off a guy who you
think is gonna be all alone,
you use the silencer.
You wanna make
as little noise as possible.
But if you figure you're gonna
take on resistance
then leave
the silencer at home.
You wanna let
the sound of the .45
scare the shit
out of them.
Throws off their aim.
How you been?
Hello, doctor.
Hello, Ralph.
Good of you to come.
I know you'll doubt this,
but I actually miss
our little sessions together.
You asked to see me.
I did, but first
I'd like to apologize
for my fit of temper
at our last meeting.
I momentarily lost
my composure.
Apology accepted.
I want to make
a legal deposition
to be filed
with the district
attorney's office.
I'd like to confess.
And for which crimes
you've committed
are you willing
to make these confessions?
All of them, Ralph.
Every single one
that I'm responsible for.
I'm afraid I've been
a very naughty lady.
Would you like to tell me
what you hope to accomplish
-with this deposition?
-Certainly.
The authorities
will clearly see
that I've made great progress
here at the hospital,
but most important,
when I confess it will
cleanse my soul.
I will be born again.
-Home phone?
-None.
Insurance carrier?
I don't have one,
but I can pay cash.
Referring physician?
I found out about
this place from a friend.
And you're here for
a diagnostic consultation?
Yeah. I need to speak
to a real surgery doctor.
You know, a guy who is--
does major surgery.
Are you in any pain?
It's all still
a bit sore.
I, uh, I think I popped
a couple of stitches.
Who was your surgeon?
I can't remember
right now.
Well, he seems to have
done a fine job,
so why aren't you talking
to him about this?
Well, I can't afford
the plane fare, for one.
Where? Colorado?
The clinic there in Denver?
They do wonderful work.
Yeah, that's right.
The transgender programs
that I'm aware of
all have very thorough
screening processes.
How long have you been
living as a transsexual?
For a few months.
Ordinarily, there's
a requirement of functioning
for at least a year
in the transgender role
before an actual surgery
is performed.
Did they not
insist upon that?
Yeah, well, that's--
that's the thing.
Um... I um... I thought
i wanted it, so I...
You know, I told them what
i knew they wanted to hear.
You should never let
embarrassment prevent you
from taking the best possible
care you can of your body.
It's your obligation
to yourself.
Now, I'd like you to call
a counselor that I know.
She's part of
a very good therapy group.
You can use my name
as a referral.
I don't want a counselor.
I don't need group therapy.
Can the operation
be reversed?
And if that's not
possible then...
Can I get off
with whatever this is?
It usually takes
six months to a year
to develop
sensation again.
Look, I just want to know
if I can go back to being a guy.
Medically, other than
the breast implants,
it's too soon to even
consider another procedure.
I'd be irresponsible
in advising you otherwise,
and no reputable physician
will operate on you again
without at least six months
of intensive therapy.
Can I go back
to being a guy?
Again, the implants,
that's not a problem.
But beyond that,
to the best of my knowledge,
there is no procedure that
will completely restore you
back to your former self.
Cosmetically, yes,
something can be done.
But it won't
be functional.
What it sounds like
you're asking for
is currently
medically impossible.
So that was it.
This was the way
it was gonna be.
I was gonna be a chick
except for in my head,
so get used to it.
Two people.
One's a beauty and one's
an i-don't-know what.
I'm still trying to figure
you out, and I don't get it.
But, you know, look
at the bright side.
The cops are never gonna
come looking for you
being a guy,
so maybe being a girl's
the best way to stay
out of prison.
I've been
thinking about this.
You could
change your name.
Get a fake passport, papers,
go to Mexico
or Costa Rica or Brazil,
some place where people
hide out, you know?
Nobody would find you.
I'm sure you know somebody
who can get you a fake ID.
What about you?
You want me
to go with you?
No.
Haven't I made
enough trouble for you?
All right, let's proceed.
We'll begin
with the formalities.
It's February 3rd,
3:00 in the afternoon.
I'm Paul wincott,
deputy district attorney
for Alameda county, California.
This hearing will be visually
recorded as well as transcribed
by a duly appointed stenographer
for the supreme court
of the state of California
under the jurisdiction
of the honorable
judge Thomas vancleeve.
Doctor, now it's
my understanding
that you'd like to make
an opening statement
before we proceed with
a series of questions
pertaining to your case.
This is a confession.
It has very little to do
with the dead bodies
you found at my clinic.
They were simply
collateral damage.
My confession deals
with the professional killer
frank kitchen, or whatever
his real name is.
Contrary to my oath
as a physician
and all civilized
medical standards,
I performed unwanted
and unnecessary radical surgery
on Mr. kitchen, whom I admit
was a completely unknowing
and unwilling patient.
I did it partially
for deeply personal reasons.
He had murdered someone
very close to me,
and in return,
my first instinct was basic.
I wanted
to cause frank kitchen
enormous psychic pain.
I want you
to understand this,
and the record
will bear me out.
I'm hugely sympathetic
to those who want
and choose to participate
in gender reassignment,
but normally that would
never include frank kitchen.
He was by all accounts
the type of man who reveled
in murderous activities,
as well as his masculinity.
But, as time went by,
the more I thought
about the situation,
I changed my mind
about the man.
He was an abandoned child who
had become a ward of the state,
condemned to live
on the streets at an early age.
I have the traditional
romantic nostalgia for the idea
that everyone should
have a second chance,
but I'm also a doctor,
a scientist,
in a way an artist.
I decided I wouldn't
and couldn't do
something simply
for revenge,
so I also performed the surgery
partially as an experiment.
I wanted to reinforce
the theory that,
if gender is identity,
then even the most extreme
surgical procedure
will fail to alter the essence,
and this proved to be true.
Frank kitchen is still
very much the man he was
because he believes himself
to be the man he was.
So you see, my experiment
was a success and a failure.
My Sincere hope
for his redemption was naive.
Frank kitchen went
right back to the gun.
He went right back
to killing.
I also want to confess
to the crime of hubris,
to the unforgivable crime
of an overweening estimation
of my own worth.
However, having said that,
I find myself
at a philosophical crossroads.
Whereas I'm aware
of my own inadequacy
in the grand scheme
of things,
simultaneously I find myself
the prisoner of lesser minds.
I have dared to defy
conventional morality,
but the true individual
has always had to struggle
with being overwhelmed
by the tribe, and no price,
even this imprisonment
and indignity,
is too high to pay
for the privilege
of owning yourself.
On your terms,
i am sorry for nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
I am proud
of the experimental work
I was doing
for the benefit of every
living human being.
Sometimes harsh methods
have to be used
on the road to progress.
That is my statement.
I will answer
no questions.
None of you are
worth my time.
Now take me
back to my cell.
It wasn't like
honest John was
a hard guy to find.
He kept a crappy
old back alley office
in this dry goods store.
He even kept regular hours.
He's got bodyguards,
but no security cameras.
Honest John doesn't
want any record
of who comes to see him
or who he's been
talking to.
The best thing you can have
going for you
is the element of surprise.
So how do you get that back
when your target already
knows he's being hunted?
11:00 am, broad daylight.
The place where they work.
It's where they feel safe.
It's where you get back
the element of surprise.
Hey, this is
a freight elevator--
Whoa!
Wait, wait, wait,
wait, wait, wait.
Who the fuck are you?
Frank kitchen.
I stashed Mr. honest John
in the basement,
cleaned up the bodies,
and then I had
a few questions for him.
I wanna know
what happened.
Why'd you
turn me over?
How I got like this.
I want details, John,
and I don't have
a lot of time.
But I brought
this along.
You won't need it.
The doctor pays me 25 grand,
I bring her people
to operate on.
It's not easy, you know,
finding people like that,
somebody that nobody's gonna
miss when they disappear.
You don't want
the cops coming around
and asking questions, right?
One more time.
Why me?
Tsk.
This is how it came down.
The doctor wanted you.
But to tell you the truth,
i had it in for you, too.
You did a job
in Vegas a year ago.
The guy you pushed
was a cousin of mine.
It was a family thing.
Look, my cousin is
a fuckin' douchebag,
but the family went nuts.
They call me, they think
I'm some kind of big shot.
What am I gonna
do about it?
When am I gonna
do something?
So I ask around.
I find out you were
the guy that did the push.
I feel bad,
but what am I gonna do?
Then the doctor calls me
and she tells me what she needs,
so I figure
i can kill two birds.
I hire you, I'm square
with my family,
the doctor gets what
she wants, I get what I want.
Too bad you lose,
but everybody else wins.
I wanna hear more
about this doctor.
She makes her money
doing cut-rate surgery.
Somebody told me
they pulled her license
a couple of years ago.
We're not buddies.
She keeps
her distance.
You wanna know
about the doctor,
you should ask
your girlfriend.
Say that again?
You heard me.
What, you think
you just ran into her
in that bar?
What a fuckin' dumb shit.
I thought you
was a smart guy.
But I guess the little head
took over the big head.
Happens all the time.
She followed you
from the hotel.
She picks you up,
she gives you a fuck,
she reports
in to the doctor.
That way they can keep
an eye on you down the line.
She's a nurse, right?
Nurses work for doctors.
Yeah, you're right.
Have one.
I think I'm gonna take
a shower first.
I've had kind of
a rough day.
Come over here.
Sit down.
I poured you a drink.
I do something wrong?
Yeah, you did.
Cheers.
I had a long talk
with honest John.
I did it
because I thought
they'd break
my arms and legs,
maybe kill me
if I didn't.
If I try to tell you
the whole story,
it's just gonna sound
like some pathetic attempt
at an excuse, right?
Fuck it.
Go ahead and do it.
If I were you
i wouldn't push my luck!
How did you get involved
with these shits?
Oh, god, I met a guy.
He was one of honest John's
bodyguards.
He's big, mean, and no good.
Just my type.
He went to go work
for the doctor,
and he talked me into making
some extra money.
I provided the drugs.
Anything the doctor couldn't
get without a prescription,
I had plenty of access to
at the hospital.
You'd be amazed how easy
it is for me to grab the stuff.
I really am a nurse.
I want you to get that.
I really needed the money
and they paid a lot and...
I only met the doctor
a few times.
I never did know
her real name.
She told me
what she was doing
wasn't exactly by the book
but she said
that they would be
making experiments
that would be helping
a lot of people
and she's a real doctor
and a good talker
and let's face it,
it was a really
fucked-up period in my life.
I usually got my orders
from Albert.
He's a nurse,
but not like me.
He's a surgical nurse.
They're a lot
more skilled, okay?
He's-- oh, god,
he's a bastard. Real mean.
He did hard time
for some sex charge.
He's got this deal
with the doctor.
He's real hung up on hookers,
and she pays for them.
I guess it's a reward
for his good work.
He likes 'em
kinda kinky, you know?
Real exotic.
What about me?
I'm just supposed
to keep an eye on you.
Albert's called a few times
to check in so far, that's it.
End of story.
The safe thing to do...
Is to kill you.
I didn't kill her,
but it was goodbye Johnnie.
I gave her some dough
and I put her on a bus to Reno
the next morning.
She had some friends there.
I told her to give me
three weeks.
If she didn't hear from me,
she could come back
to her place
and I'll be long gone.
Poncho.
Gracias, huh?
Mucho.
When I put Johnnie
on the bus, I told her
to make a phone call
for me from Reno.
She promised
she wouldn't let me down.
I believed her.
Hello, sweetie.
Well, they said
you were a hottie.
Just my type.
Whoa, whoa, whoa,
take it easy, take it easy,
nobody's gotta get hurt.
Did you really think we
were gonna fuckin' fall
for that phone call
from Johnnie?
Bring her over here.
Hold her still.
Nighty night.
Wow.
It looks like the new model
frank kitchen.
Well, frank, I hope
you got some rest.
Hey, frank.
If you get thirsty
you can crawl over here.
Thank you, Albert.
That will be all.
It might interest
you to know, frank,
that this old hotel
was the site
of many, many
a sinful party
back around the time
of the big earthquake.
All the rich people
used to dance
and romance there.
If these walls
could talk...
Much better.
You need
a more natural look
to bring out
your best features.
I did a good job
on you, didn't I?
You're really
quite beautiful
in a waitress/
shopgirl kind of way.
But I don't want
to be picky.
You certainly qualify
as an attractive woman.
But inside your head,
I can see you really haven't
made any progress.
Still a killer.
Still a street animal.
Still a macho man.
I gave you a new
chance in life
and you wasted
that opportunity.
I realize you don't understand
what this is all about.
Such a complicated series
of events and misfortunes.
I'm just wasting
words with you.
Surgery at 10:00 tonight.
hello, frank.
Get him undressed
while I get set up.
I got three injections
to give him.
I don't wanna check his
blood pressure until he's out.
You're lucky to have such
a good surgeon, frank.
I'm sure she'll do
an excellent job on your arm.
Oh, I spoiled
the surprise.
She's gonna take your right arm
off at the shoulder
and give you a nice
little flipper.
Just like a seal.
Fuck, I can do it!
Won't be holding a gun
with that hand anymore.
The doctor seems to think
that's a good thing.
Makes the world
a safer place.
I'm a cold guy.
You make a living
the way I do,
you learn to keep
a hold of yourself.
You panic, you make mistakes,
you're dead.
Nice tits, huh?
She did a good job.
Why don't you take
a look at this?
Bet you haven't
seen one of these
that you didn't have
to pay for in a long time.
Aah!
I think you're
out of bullets.
So, what do we do now?
I think I'm actually
a bit of a coward
when it comes to life
and death situations.
I assume the men
who work for me are...
Dead.
I have an idea.
I think we should
call it quits.
You walk away
into the night,
I'll pull
a disappearing act of my own,
and, sad to say, we'll never
see each other again.
Over.
Quits.
I don't think so.
You see, you never know
when you're gonna need
one of these.
I can't believe it.
Everything's coming apart.
All my work.
Falling to pieces.
Do you like
my little humidifier?
It's uh... 150 years old.
Made in Edinburgh.
Still runs
like a charm.
Don't shoot me, frank.
I never beg,
but so much of what I do
is for the good.
After I wiped my prints,
there was just one more thing
i had to do.
I called the cops
from a phone
in the back of the bar
about a block away.
I told them to send
an ambulance over
to take care
of the doctor.
There wasn't any trial.
It wasn't even too big
a story in the paper
or on the news.
They just sent the doctor
off to the nut house.
Hello, Ralph.
Doctor.
You've come
to say goodbye.
Yes, yes, I have.
Before we say sweet
sentimental things
to each other,
I have to ask
what you thought of
yesterday's hearing.
I thought it was
cheap theatrics
by someone desperate
for attention.
And finally I thought it was
a performance of no consequence.
What I see is simply
a doctor who broke her oath,
a doctor who was found
in a building
with four dead bodies--
I killed none
of the four.
No, your surrogate
Albert Becker did,
but you built
the theater
where the tragedy
could play out.
Bullshit.
Albert was no angel,
but he never killed anyone.
You invented
frank kitchen
to protect the memory
of Albert Becker.
I tried to help
frank kitchen,
but the fact remains
he killed all four,
then he shot me,
and proceeded to do
other vile things.
You're
completely wrong.
It makes me
so angry and sad.
Goodbye, Ralph.
I see. I see.
You show me once again
how very clever you are,
and then-- then it's
adios muchacho.
Mm. No, not that easy.
I wanna know what you've
been trying to pull off
from the get-go.
What's your agenda?
I'm just gonna
stand here...
Until I get an answer.
All right.
It took me a long time
to recover from my wounds,
but after two years
in this hell hole
I decided to put up
a fight.
If you could be
manipulated properly,
maybe I'd get out of
this miserable facility
and rightly end up
in front of a judge and jury.
I'd hire myself some
hotshot lawyers
and hope for 12 men
and women, good and true,
who would appreciate my vision
of a a better world.
I buy the plan.
But you blew it
in the hearing.
After I lost my temper
and attacked you,
I knew it was game over.
A trial would be
one long misery
with a predictable end,
resulting in an even
greater humiliation.
So I decided
to accept my fate,
but I wanted there to be
a statement of the truth.
I wanted it to be
on the record
in case anyone ever cares
to look for the facts.
Now I'll return to my books
and my private thoughts.
Goodbye to out there
and all that.
Goodnight, room.
Goodnight, moon.
Go fuck yourself, Ralph.
Adios muchacho,
and be on your way.
I still feel bad
about Johnnie.
Although she screwed me over,
i really liked her.
She stayed working
in Reno.
I think it was
the best thing for her.
A new city, new place to live,
a fresh start.
Yeah, I think it worked out
for the best.
One more thing.
The doctor.
I used to be a guy.
A real bad guy.
Then things changed.
Now I look at the cards
I got dealt in a different way.
One thing's for sure.
Change is gonna come.