The Laws of Thermodynamics (2018) Movie Script

the universe,
our own existence,
are ruled by laws
that are well known.
Laws that nothing
and nobody can escape.
Nevertheless, the scientific community
had overlooked something until now:
the strange and deep relationship
between those laws
and our own emotional behavior.
You are about to find out
how the laws of physics
can be applied to the emotions
that rule our daily routine.
And including, especially,
those of a much lesser-known
Okay, what are thermodynamics?
Can any of you tell me?
Don't everyone raise your hand
at once,
you'll confuse me.
As the name indicates, thermodynamics
is the study of the movement of heat.
Specifically, the ways in which
energy is transformed.
Because as you already know,
energy can take many forms.
This is Manel Suarez,
he'll be my assistant during the course.
Please go easy on him.
Manel spent his weekend building
this little steamboat for you,
which works thanks to the laws
of thermodynamics.
Please, everyone come closer.
Take these seats.
Manel, explain how it works
before the demonstration.
Okay, um...
This little bowl contains
the fuel that will feed the flame,
the flame will heat
the water in this tank...
Once heated, the water will expand
and come out of these
two small tubes, propelling the boat.
That's so, Manel.
Let's try it out.
Here, take mine.
Looks like it won't light...
That's all right.
What you're seeing
also responds to the principles
of thermodynamics.
The principles we're talking about
not only rule our lives
they will also finally determine
our fate and that of
the entire universe.
Prepare yourselves,
on the shoulders of giants,
for a new leap in the history of science.
Welcome to the passionate
and terrifying world of...
In order to discuss thermodynamics,
we need to refer to a system.
In this case, let's take
the "humanity" system,
with its thousands of individual
moving and interacting
with each other.
And we'll focus on a few
of those particles.
For example, the Manel-particle...
and the Elena-particle,
who still haven't met.
The first thing we must know
is that all thermodynamic systems
tend towards equilibrium.
But don't be fooled
by how nice this word sounds.
It's precisely the lack
of equilibrium that could give
the Manel and Elena particles
the chance to meet and interact,
to build something together.
Equilibrium in this case means
the dispersion of the particles
and the absence of activity,
of heat exchange.
Unfortunately, that's what
we tend to move towards.
You're sleeping over at my place tomorrow.
I have to get up early.
Me too.
How was your first day of class?
Did the boat work?
Wonderfully, like an outboard.
My super physicist aeronautical
naval industrial nuclear engineer.
I bet all the girls
were making eyes at you.
One of them did.
I love how you lie to me
to make me horny.
Have you done everything yet?
Wash the dishes, sweep the floor,
air out the flat,
lock the front door twice?
Then the Raquel-Manuel
physical system is ready to fuck.
You still need to get your
things ready for tomorrow.
And super romantic.
You've got it all.
But let's go straight to heat exchange
and the laws of thermodynamics.
It simply what?
It's transformed, it's turned
into something else.
Into what?
- I don't know, into affection.
- Affection?
That's what I feel for my dog.
Not that kind, it's more special.
But last night we fucked
and you said you loved me.
I was your proton
and you were my electron.
- You called me pickles.
- Well, I mainly called you Raquel.
What are you talking about?
What happened?
Love doesn't just transform overnight!
Well, it wasn't overnight.
Oh, it wasn't overnight.
No, it wasn't.
We decided to take a break
3 months ago.
Two months,
18 days and 6 hours
since you asked for time.
Exactly, it wasn't overnight.
- You're not telling me the truth.
- What?
I'm saying I don't love you anymore.
No, you're not telling me
the whole truth.
What else do you want me to say?
- Why did your love transform?
- I already told you.
Love doesn't just transform overnight!
- You're going into a loop.
- No, I'm not.
- Say it.
- Say what?
What your love has really
turned into.
- You really want to know?
- You owe me that.
Into indifference.
You think I'm stupid?
Indifference is what's left when love
has turned into something else.
I don't understand you.
You understand me perfectly.
Say it.
Please, say it.
Say it!
There's someone else.
There's someone else.
Which brings us to the second law
of thermodynamics.
- Wait a second!
- Wait a second!
But let's not get ahead
of ourselves.
To fully understand what's happening,
we have to go back in time
to the moment where it all began.
Inertia. That's what's acting
on the Manel-body at this moment.
And in general,
up until this moment.
- Do you love me?
- Madly.
But let's continue
with the laws of motion.
The girl you see now, or Eva-body,
will help us explain the second law.
In this case, the force propelling Eva
is named Rosa, who is also her mother.
She's been waiting for her
for 15 minutes to have lunch.
And here we can see
the effects of the third law.
But Newton's huge contribution
doesn't end here,
nor the event that triggered our story.
Allow me to introduce
the Pablo-body
and one of the key laws of physics
and of this story:
The law of gravity
or attraction of bodies.
This law is so important that
we should stop here for a second.
A body's gravity
depends on its mass,
which we mustn't identify
by its weight,
rather by the amount
of attractive material.
That's why the Pablo-body and the
fatso-body are the ones attracted,
the ones that fall towards
the super-massive Elena-body,
and not the other way around.
It alone can set us in motion,
change the direction
of our path,
or disintegrate us.
God, what happened?
I'm sorry, are you hurt?
- What a blow. You okay?
- Yeah.
Jesus Christ, I cracked your head open.
Why are you on the ground?
It had to be you.
You two know each other?
Did you do this on purpose?
I wouldn't be surprised
if you planned it.
You're the one with
the twisted mind here.
And no, it wasn't on purpose.
I wasn't that bent on meeting you.
And yes, I'm okay. Are you?
Seeing stars, but okay, yeah.
I'm so sorry, I don't know
what I was thinking.
We're okay, thank you!
Thank you.
We were meeting for a drink
on the terrace.
Would you two like to join us
while we recover?
Sure, no problem.
Okay, until my friend gets here.
That's Manel, I'm Pablo.
I'm Eva.
Nice crashing into you.
I'm Manel.
No, thank you.
Elena, right?
You look great in all the photos.
But the campaign's a bit dull.
You know we publicists
criticize everything.
Really? I never noticed.
What do you two do?
I'm a criminal lawyer.
I recently opened
- my own office.
- How brave.
You have no idea.
And you?
I'm an astrophysicist.
I'm writing a thesis about
thermodynamics in complex systems.
- How interesting.
- He's a genius at what he does.
Here is where it all began.
Luckily gravity
isn't the only force of nature.
And how do thermodynamics work
- in complex systems?
- It's very easy...
It's too bad there are so many
super-massive bodies in the universe.
Oh, hi.
How are you?
Look, Pablo, Eva and...
You ready?
The others all came too.
Okay, I'll be right there.
- Don't worry about it, I've got it.
- Thanks.
Well, it was nice crashing
into you guys.
- Likewise.
- A pleasure.
Take my card.
Give me a call when the swelling
goes down and we'll celebrate.
Right? All four of us.
We're having fun.
Sure, whoever recovers first
can call.
Okay, it's a deal.
She's gorgeous, huh?
Yeah, she's okay.
You're not so bad yourself.
Besides brave.
I'm going out for a drink
tonight with Pablo.
And some people from his agency,
I think.
Maybe Pablito will find himself
a girlfriend...
Do you realize you've created
a mini solar system on the dance floor?
You have a ton of planets of all types.
Look, giant planets...
Desert planets...
Gaseous planets...
Red planets...
Even inhabited ones.
I was inhabited when I was 16 too.
For real.
Are you a planet too?
I'm Mercury. I'm burning up
as we speak.
Look, you even have a planet
with its own moon.
Look at that, I think your admirers
are even following the same laws
as the planets around the sun.
- You're crazy.
- Seriously. Kepler's laws.
If you watch closely,
they're not going around in circles.
When they're behind you,
they move further away.
And when they pass in front of you,
they move closer.
So you'll look at them.
They're actually following an ellipse.
They're filling the dance floor.
But since they don't want
to look too desperate,
when they pass in front of you,
they walk a little faster.
Are there more laws?
One more.
Planets which orbit further away
move more slowly. Probably because
you make the closer planets
more nervous.
So if you get closer
you'll get more nervous?
I'll start emitting ultraviolet radiation.
Here we're risking a cosmic collision.
You're crazy... but cute.
- Wait a second!
- Wait a second!
Who is it?
- Who is who?
- Who do you think?
What does that matter now?
It's "Leoreennazo," right?
How do you know?
- You can't even lie.
- What a shitty liar.
The bill... you asked me for.
Manel, don't do it.
Please, think about it.
I know you,
she's not right for you.
Do whatever the fuck you want,
I don't care.
But I'm telling you,
that guy is going to fuck you up.
She's a top model. Mulatto.
Everybody wants her.
An actor and a model.
You know what that means?
His job is to fuck anything that moves!
You think she'll put up with your order
and your obsessions like I do?
That she'll appreciate
your absurd theories
about love and the laws of physics?
You think he'll settle for one model
when he can have one every day
who are also actresses?
You're going to suffer
even when you're on top.
I'll sit outside my door
and watch your cadaver walk by.
I told you this would happen.
And while you were insisting
that you needed to reflect,
you were fucking that jerk?
The fucking stud.
Thank God I saw it coming
and had my guard up.
Otherwise you'd dump me
and I would feel like shit right now.
But we're getting ahead
of ourselves again.
Before we continue
with thermodynamics,
we need to go back
in the relationship and science
to the period of happy discoveries
and faith in knowledge,
to the sweet peak
of classical physics.
You're a grandfather!
This is my favorite corner.
- Damn it!
- Gross!
Don't touch me with that!
Gravity is a powerful force
when it comes to attracting bodies
to each other.
But it stops being one once
they've already been brought together.
So let's study these forces
in relation to our particular
Manel-Elena atomic system.
Here we're risking a cosmic collision.
You're crazy... but cute.
Chemistry is what made Elena
choose me instead of Pablo that night.
It's also what makes everything flow
smoothly between particles.
Okay, Elena...
It was a pleasure.
You can call Pablo, you have his number,
- if you want to hook up sometime.
- You don't want to come with me?
Good morning.
Or what causes that tingle
whenever we're about to see
the other particle.
- You can't come in here.
- I'm here to see Elena.
You're Manel?
Go ahead, you can stay on that side.
When the chemistry is intense,
you really feel the electricity.
I'll be done in a little while.
You're very organized, aren't you?
No. You think?
- Where's dinner?
- In the oven.
And the dirty pans?
Or clean ones?
It's a question of method.
How about some wine, Mr. Method?
What's fascinating about science
is everything can be explained.
For example, don't you think it's strange
that with all the advances
we've made in biology,
we still don't know what life is?
That the famous mystery
still hasn't been revealed?
I don't know, is it?
Maybe there's nothing to reveal.
That's what's amazing.
Life is probably just a consequence
of how atoms organize themselves,
another step in the evolution
of complex systems.
That's why I study them.
You're the one who's a complex system.
We're just a bunch of organized atoms.
Even if we think there's something
divine about life and we're in charge,
everything is predetermined
by a few basic rules.
How sad, right?
I don't know, I'd rather think
there is a mystery
and that life is special.
If not, what's the point?
This bunch of organized atoms has decided
it needs to go to the bathroom.
Actually, you didn't decide.
It was already decided
before you decided.
You were saying?
No. No, I forgot.
I'll start emitting ultraviolet radiation.
Actually, weak force isn't so weak
nor difficult to detect.
You just need to be in the right place.
Within the atomic system, that force
is felt with great intensity.
Tell me you don't snore.
This is where you're preparing
your thesis?
I got you a present,
I couldn't help myself.
What? Why?
Because it's not your style...
And it proves that Mr. Method
is not a lost cause. There's still hope.
It's beautiful.
It's identical, how did you do it?
I had to take the sculptor
to the park and make a cast.
- Seriously?
- Yeah.
We almost got caught. It was fun.
I think it's the best present
anyone's ever given me.
Get a room!
Let's go to your place
and pick a spot for it.
Most people would say that
strong nuclear force is love
because it makes particles
But more careful analysis
that it's actually more of a dependence.
Have a happy day.
You too.
The farther away
the other particle gets,
the more you need it.
And when the rubber band breaks,
things like the atomic bomb happen.
- Wanna hear a secret?
- Please.
You're the first person I'm telling.
I want to be an actress.
Actually, it's what I've always
wanted to be...
because I love the idea
of stopping being myself
and pretending I'm someone else,
living other lives,
meeting different people
with stories to tell...
Do you remember the guy
I was talking to after the photo shoot?
With the black hat?
The one who was devouring you
with his eyes?
Yeah, that one.
He offered me the starring role
in a short film.
I haven't read the script yet,
but I just decided I'm going to do it.
Thanks for telling me your secret.
The question you're probably
asking yourselves
is if two particles have
the same forces acting on them,
do they feel them
with the same intensity?
I like y... being with you.
Look what pretty bikes!
There you see.
Some signs indicate that these forces
might not have exactly the same
effect on both particles.
Tell me you don't snore.
For the other particle, the weak nuclear
force might be too weak.
I'm sorry, but I have trouble sleeping
in the same bed with someone else.
Or the electromagnetic charge
might not be
complementary enough.
Or the strong force rubber band
might be too elastic.
I missed you so much.
For me the week flew by!
Not to mention that gravity
never stops acting on us.
You already hold hands in the street?
Just the other day
and she found an excuse
- right away to let go.
- But you see each other a lot.
No, she's always too busy.
Damn, this chick is hot.
Sure you don't want to see?
She's a bombshell.
They offered Elena this campaign,
but she couldn't do it.
You have no idea.
The other day after the photos,
when we finished...
Manel, you might be picking up
signals that aren't there.
You're grabbing at straws.
You guys have fun together, right?
I do.
Maybe she's just a little spooked.
No, you notice stuff like that.
Your body can tell if the other
person is falling in love or not.
Damn, those are big words.
You're falling in love?
I fell in love the day
we crashed into her.
What about you?
What about me?
- With Eva.
- Fine.
We hang out, have sex, good vibe.
But are you...?
No way.
I wouldn't mind because
she's fantastic, but no.
- What about her?
- Her? No, she isn't either.
Well, I don't think so.
I hope not, she hasn't said anything.
No, I don't think so. No.
No, definitely not. Hell no.
No, no, no.
- At six?
- Yeah.
Hi. What's up?
Oops, sorry.
Take my hand or I'll make a huge
fucking scene you won't believe.
You're a son of a bitch.
Why? I behave myself.
I treat her like a queen.
- Like you do all the girls you fuck.
- Sure, I'm a gentleman.
Look, Manel.
I think you need to relax
and give Elena time.
Play it cool, make her miss you.
Go out more, go to the gym,
meet women too...
It won't matter,
the scale is already tipped.
I think Elena and I have reached
our peak of happiness.
Damn, with that attitude
no wonder she got spooked.
It's not an attitude, it's science.
It's in the books.
You don't know because all you think
about is getting laid, but the initial
conditions within a system
are what determine its evolution.
It's very simple. We have a system
and two parts with different temperatures.
So the second law of thermodynamics
is already set in motion.
What was the second law?
Why aren't you answering?
But what is entropy?
Get ready to understand
once and for all
something you'll never forget.
How hard is it to send a message?
There's someone else.
But there's still more.
There's another way
to look at entropy
and it's even more troubling,
even more devastating.
I was up all night
gluing it back together.
You didn't have to.
It doesn't look so bad.
- After all you went through to...
- It's okay.
It has even more personality now.
It wasn't such a pretty sculpture.
I can't see you this week, Manel,
I'll be too busy with the short film.
You can visit me on the set,
but I can't spend any time with you.
You're leaving already?
You just got here.
I'm sorry, I can't stay.
I have a rehearsal.
- Is everything okay?
- I don't know.
Is everything okay?
You didn't answer my messages
I didn't. Wow. I'm sorry I'm so busy.
- Really.
- Is that all?
That's all. Don't freak out.
You might be going a little fast
for me. But everything's fine, okay?
See you on Sunday. Come up with
some law of physics to explain to me.
Wish me luck.
Good luck.
Hi, excuse me.
I'm here to see Elena, I'm Manel.
Manel? Manel who?
They already left.
But they told me they were here
ten minutes ago.
They're shooting the rest of the day
somewhere else, like two hours away.
Maybe we could do a threesome.
I don't mean to...
I didn't mean to startle you,
but I must say that your thesis
is coming along more slowly
than expected.
It sucks.
It could also be expressed
that way, yes.
Right now a lot of people
are working
on thermodynamics
in complex systems.
If you don't hurry up,
someone might beat you to it.
I'm sick of thermodynamics
and complex systems.
Did you know that
a large number of physicists
who developed thermodynamics
committed suicide?
Or even worse, they tried unsuccessfully.
Some even lost their wives
and children while trying.
The statistics are staggering.
No, I didn't know.
I'm telling you because you don't
look very enthusiastic.
- I'm just tired. A bad night.
- Anyway,
I only wanted to tell you that
your thesis is very promising,
but you mustn't lose your edge.
We're anxiously awaiting
your results.
I'll tell you about my night.
Remember, we're talking about disorder
and lost energy here.
Have a seat! This is ready
and it gets cold fast!
Shit, it's overdone.
I'm sorry, I was in a hurry
and everything came out backwards.
- If you'd told me a little sooner...
- Hi.
Go on, sit down.
It won't be great.
What are you drinking, wine?
- I brought you a bottle.
- Open it and I'll start serving.
I have a casting for a movie on Monday.
I'm a little nervous,
so let's not get overwhelmed, okay?
I'll help you clean up after.
Yeah, okay. I just wanted
everything to be perfect
- when you got here.
- I came to see you.
And I'm sure your dinner is great.
Wait, let me get this.
My love, let's have dinner
and have a nice chat.
- Okay?
- Okay.
I'll make coffee.
I'm not finished yet.
That way it'll be ready
when you are.
I'll clear the table while I'm at it.
It's not the smoke, it's the smell
of food, it's too stuffy in here.
I love this song.
I'll turn it down a bit,
you hear everything up here.
At least until we close the windows.
I'll do that in a second.
Don't take the wine. Please.
Yeah, right, sorry.
You're fascinating, you know that?
Look at your home.
Your books arranged by subjects,
your figures always perfectly placed,
your pajamas neatly folded
by the bed...
I admire you.
I really do.
But my love,
I think you need a little...
What was this called again?
I'm sorry!
I wouldn't just call it entropy.
I'd also call it... joy!
What are you doing?
- Will you stop?
- Joy!
- Calm down for a second!
- Fly!
Elena, please...
Not the drawers... Okay, okay...
- I was dying to do this.
- We have to talk.
No, not the books, they're in order...
- Come on, be happy with me.
- No, hold on.
Wait, let's talk... Damn
I'll stop cleaning up, I promise!
That's enough, knock it off!
- We can't sleep, damn it!
- Elena, please...
Some people have to work!
- Sorry!
- Come here...
Let me free you, Mr. Scientific Method!
Elena, let me go!
You're repressed, don't you see?
What's your problem?
You spoiled brat!
You see? You never think
of the consequences!
It's better than being 15 moves
ahead all the time!
You've got Kasparov Syndrome!
Yeah? And what's your thing called?
When people only care
about themselves?
Don't change the subject,
Mr. Method.
You're turning into a pain in the ass!
Oh, yeah. It's called "egocentritis."
When your ego is bigger
than your head.
What am I doing here
with a stick in the mud like you?
You're here because
nobody can stand you.
Your ego absorbs everything
like a black hole.
And yours doesn't?
All you want is for me to follow
you around like a puppy dog.
Oh, great.
Now you're leaving, right?
I think that's enough disorder
to keep you busy for a while.
You see? That's what you're like.
Things get messy and you
leave me here to clean it up.
It's your mess.
Give me the key, please.
I gave you a copy, remember?
I lost it, I forgot to tell you.
Will you please open the door?
You lost the key to my flat?
Great. Well, I don't know
where I put mine, I'm sorry.
No, I'm sorry,
for being so clumsy...
Please, go ahead and leave.
Everything is fine.
Thanks for coming,
it was a pleasure.
No, thank you, I had a blast.
You're a laugh a minute.
You're too kind!
No, really. I love being with you.
I'm going to miss you so much.
Me too!
I love you!
Damn it!
I am such a fucking idiot!
What was that?
That was thermodynamics
reacting on my coffee pot.
I'll help you clean up, okay?
No. Don't even think about it.
Yes, we both did this.
No, you have to get up
early tomorrow.
I said I want to help you clean up!
- No, damn it, I don't want you to.
- Why wouldn't you want me to?
- Because you clean badly!
- I know!
No, I'm okay. It's fine,
we'll hook up another time.
Yeah, don't worry, we'll talk later.
I'm fine. You do your thing.
Everything's fine, really.
It's just a little dog shit
that got stuck in my hair
when I fell headfirst into shit
because I was chasing you
like I do all the fucking time
while you do your own fucking thing!
You don't deserve me, you bastard!
You don't...
Oh, yes, yes, like that!
This is all you want me for.
You only want me for sex, damn it!
I'm going to leave you...
I swear, I'm going to leave you...
Bastard, I swear I'm going to...
I'm going to... I'm going to...
leave... you... you... you.
I got the part!
What part?
Remember the casting I did?
Oh, right.
I'm so happy! In two months
I'll be shooting a movie!
I'm sorry, we'll have to cancel
our vacation.
Isn't it incredible?
The director called me to tell me!
Daniel Snchez Arvalo.
What's this?
It was to say I'm sorry.
Sorry? What for?
Hey, I can't stay home tonight.
I'm meeting the director and some
people from the crew to celebrate.
You can sleep over
but I don't know what time
I'll be back.
No, that's okay,
I have things to do at home.
- Okay. You're not mad?
- No.
Why don't you make something
to drink while I get dressed?
I need a drink!
Entropy advances slowly.
Sometimes it's nearly impossible
to detect.
But it's unstoppable.
To eliminate it, you'd have to stop
particles in motion,
fix them somehow
to some unalterable structure.
And even then you'd never be able
to eliminate it completely.
Sooner or later,
entropy destroys the efficiency
of the system...
and the machine stops working.
I think we should give ourselves
some time.
And even though one formula
calculates entropy
in terms of probability
and the other in terms of energy,
even calculating such different things,
the results match.
Isn't that fascinating?
I don't get it, teach.
You know me, I study all the time,
but thermodynamics is too much for me.
What is it you don't get?
Any of it. To start with,
I don't get the point of any of this.
Maybe you don't get it
because you've missed
a subtle but important detail.
That all of this doesn't only affect
the substances we use in the laboratory.
It affects you, it affects me,
it affects everyone.
The second law of thermodynamics
explains why a glass you drop
smashes into pieces on the floor
but if you drop the pieces
they don't form a glass.
It explains why machines
stop working if you don't use them,
why sand castles never last
and why we always end up
forgetting everything.
It explains why what you wanted to do
becomes the mess you end up making
and why your girlfriend gets bored
with you and finds someone else.
It even explains why
we can't go back in time
and fix the things
we screwed up with her.
It explains practically everything
you do wrong.
Because it applies to all systems,
starting with the universe itself
and ending with your own life
and the shitty social system
you're wasting away in.
Think about it.
Bring me a book report next week.
No, damn it!
No, damn it!
No, this isn't
Procrastinators Anonymous.
Sadly, my friends,
in the very long term
there won't even be super-massive
and wonderful beings like Elena
to make us suffer.
But we're getting ahead
of ourselves again.
Let's go back one more time
to understand
what really happened,
where classical physics
started going wrong
and brought us to the current
state of things.
Hey, hi! Great!
- And you?
- Great.
Manel, this is Lorenzo.
He's my co-star in the movie.
- How are you?
- Fine.
Pablo... Pablo!
Over here!
Sweetie, call him!
Look who's there!
He's so crazy!
I don't understand how Eva
goes along with it.
Over here!
Let's consider an event.
In this case, it will happen
in about eight seconds.
And let's suppose we have
two observers,
one standing still and the other
in motion with respect to the event.
Let's see how each one
observes the event.
From the girlfriend's point of view,
Pablo falls in a straight line
towards the ground.
For his lover, however,
since the bus is moving,
Pablo falls following a curve.
The curve is obviously longer
than the straight line,
so his lover will see him fall
at a greater speed than his girlfriend.
I felt like I was in the air forever.
Does it hurt a lot?
What were you thinking, son?
How could you fall off a bus?
Where is Eva?
Okay, everyone.
I have to wash him.
This can be very unpleasant.
- What should we do?
- Leave.
Go outside and shut the door,
I'm going to scream.
Can you ask Eva
to come and help, please?
I'm right here.
For me the week flew by!
You're leaving already? You just got here.
You might be going a little fast for me.
But everything's fine.
Just to clarify:
Falling in love has the same effect
as running faster than you're supposed to.
In both cases, your heart races
and wants to jump out of your mouth.
Hi, Manel.
We agreed not to speak,
that we needed to reflect.
Yeah, but I wanted to say
that I've reflected.
A lot.
And I can't bear the thought
of losing you. I'll do anything
you want not to lose you.
I know, Manel, but...
that's not how it works.
The scene you made the other day...
That's not the Manel I like.
I like the one from the beginning,
before you started freaking out.
I think you need to keep reflecting.
In other words,
stars like Elena deform
the spacetime around them
with their mere presence.
And planets like Manel
think they're free
and moving in a straight line
when they're actually trapped,
orbiting around their star.
I'm fine, really.
I feel awesome.
I don't even miss her anymore.
My life is finally straightening out.
Did you know that quantum physics
started when a scientist...
Ernest Rutherford was his name...
got the idea to imagine the atom
like a miniature solar system,
with particles orbiting around each other?
What a son of a bitch.
Let's consider Elena and Manel again
as a system of subatomic particles.
The evolution of his visits to her flat
will serve as an example
of the implausible quantum laws.
I got an urgent job, I'll see you tonight!
I was thinking you could have
keys to my place as well.
Use the keys I gave you!
Dinner is burning!
Happy birthday, Mr. Method!
Did you check if dinner is burning?
What are you doing?
Even if you have keys,
you can ring the doorbell first!
I'm going to the bathroom.
But the uncertainty arises
not only from the fact
that you can't know what it's doing,
but from something
much more disturbing.
What are you doing?
What did you say?
What are you doing?
What, you want details about
what I do in the bathroom?
And your cell phone?
I left it in the bathroom.
You're going to leave it there?
Do you mind?
Do you want me to go get it?
But this phenomenon
is merely a consequence
of the deepest
and most terrifying truth
presented by quantum physics:
wave-particle duality.
What did you do last night?
You were with Lorenzo, right?
Are you seriously asking me?
You were with Lorenzo.
I was with you.
Please, don't change the subject.
I was with you!
I don't care if you were with me!
You fucked him! Go on, say it!
You fucked him!
Normally I'm not like this, you know.
But there's something
I haven't told you yet.
Let's go back to my visits
to Elena's flat
so you can finally understand
what happened.
Manel, we have to have
a serious talk.
You were shitting yourself, eh?
I got an urgent job,
I'll see you tonight!
I got the part!
But studying a sufficient number
of particles
is the same as studying
the same particle
a sufficient number of times.
And relationships in particular
offer us enough time
to study the particle
a lot of times.
At the exact moment
you observe the particle,
the cloud and the rest
of the possibilities disappear.
The particle stops behaving
like a wave
and it's really doing what you see.
Lorenzo is hot.
He hasn't stopped hitting on me
since we met
and he's hot.
You already said that.
I flirt with him too.
Sometimes I've even thought
about fucking him.
Especially when I'm having doubts
about you.
But I don't fall in love with
someone because he's hot
and I don't want a boyfriend
who's a model or an actor.
That's the last thing I want.
I want someone who thinks
about other things,
about things more important
than ourselves,
who doesn't spend all day
seducing people
or have an ego bigger
than his own head.
- Like yours.
- Like mine, yeah.
I want a boyfriend who explains
weird things to me,
over and over again because
I don't understand them
and nobody else does either,
but I love it.
A thermodynamic boyfriend
who I can call Mr. Method.
A clean freak who makes me
show up on time
and watch documentaries
and go to bed early.
Even if he always falls asleep
before I do.
Don't give up yet,
just be a little patient with me.
But don't be fooled by her
sensationalist little speech.
The course of our relationship
would have been marked anyway.
That money is mine, rookie!
They say quantum physics
put an end to scientific determinism.
But that's nothing but
a wrong assessment.
You were perfect.
Probability, let's repeat,
is just as determinant over time
as the most exact of all laws.
It's infallible.
And even worse, it leaves you
with no weapons to fight it.
Good, you?
In the end, probability
always puts you in your place.
Especially when you can't see
where the other particle is.
Which takes us back to
the second law of thermodynamics.
Why do you think entropy always
marks the worst direction possible?
Because the chances of things
turning out the way you want
are ridiculous compared to
the chances they won't.
I don't care if you were with me!
You fucked him!
Go on, say it!
You fucked him!
The chances of the other particles
being where you want them to be
will always be extremely small.
I think we should give
ourselves some time.
I need to reflect and...
and you need to reflect.
There's another quantum phenomenon
that clearly explains
what happens during periods
of reflection between couples.
Or did you actually think these periods
have ever been used to reflect?
Complementary states
doesn't mean
they're the same, don't you see?
Fine, I'm not okay.
I feel like shit.
And that's exactly why I know,
I'm positive that she's happy.
That son of a bitch Rutherford.
I'm going to the bathroom.
- Okay, but you didn't decide that.
- Fine.
Look, Manel.
We've been friends for a long time.
I've always listened to your theories
and I've even shown interest.
But I can't take it anymore.
You're a pain in the ass.
Thanks, buddy.
That's just what I needed to hear.
Maybe it is.
Your determinism stinks.
Since everything is determined,
nothing is up to you.
You leave no room for free will.
Free will is an illusion,
I already told you that.
It might be an illusion,
but people keep fucking each other.
Look at Eva.
She had it much worse than you
with Elena, but she never gave up.
And here we are.
She's had to swallow her pride
over and over again
because I treated her like shit,
but she hung in there
and fought for what she wanted.
- I fought too.
- No, you complained, it's not the same.
Eva knew I'd hooked up with
the girl from Gay Pride,
and still there she was
in the hospital every day
taking care of me.
Eva is fucking awesome.
Damn, Pablo.
You're really shitfaced.
Tell me one thing.
Will that change anything?
Yeah. When the model came to the hospital
and she caught us...
Hold on, the model caught you?
Eva caught us.
Then she disappeared
and that's when I realized
how much I missed her.
What's up?
I'm sorry, you can't go in there.
Hey, I said you can't...
She's in a meeting...
You can't...!
I'm sorry, I couldn't stop him.
I know you don't want to see me
or talk to me.
I just wanted to say
I'm a jerk. I know I screwed up
and I don't deserve you, Eva.
But I love you.
I love you and I want
to live with you.
And if you give me a chance,
I promise I will never do
what I did again.
I can't live without you, Eva.
I don't want to live without you.
If you want me to take you back,
sign this.
It's a contract obliging you to be
faithful with your assets as collateral.
I'm kidding, you dipshit.
The model is gorgeous.
And the one at the parade is too,
amazing in bed.
But Eva has... She's...
I've decided to stop fooling around
and finally settle down.
I know what you're going to say,
but no, I'm serious.
I'll tell you what you're going to say.
That I'm saying this because
I'm on crutches
and can barely fuck, that the accident
affected my brain,
that I always said this would
never happen to me,
not if I could still get women,
not before age 50,
that I see storm clouds on the horizon
and I'm scared of ending up alone,
that settling down means giving up,
being stingy,
that it means rejecting our essence,
freedom and true love,
which is absolutely disgraceful,
sad, pathetic...
No, that's not what I was going to say.
What's disgraceful and pathetic?
Manel, who else?
I'm telling him that he hides behind
his laws so he won't have to do anything.
Manel, you give up when it's time
to give up, not before.
In fact, I was thinking something
in the bathroom.
That law of quantum entanglement.
You say that if you change
the state of one particle,
it changes the state
of the other one too, right?
Then if you change yourself
to a more positive state,
if you take care of yourself
and surround yourself with good vibes,
then maybe Elena won't be
as happy and she'll start missing you.
I hadn't thought of that.
It might work, right?
But she has to see you
like the Manel from the beginning.
Before you freaked out.
Of course! That's what I've been
telling him all along.
To have fun, to go out more,
damn it.
To go out and get dressed up
and flirt with other chicks, right?
Go to the gym,
I don't know, live a little.
And have sex, right?
Fuck tons of chicks,
hump as many as you can.
You see, Manel?
I told you, Eva is the best.
How could I not be crazy about her?
You're the best.
Because you already know,
or at least you should know,
that thermodynamics...
We know she's totally hot.
If we multiply her attractive mass
by the speed of light squared,
we get an immeasurable amount of energy.
Here we go.
Then there's the type of woman
I call a super-massive black hole.
She's not just hot and totally sick,
she thinks she's the center of the galaxy,
everything revolves around her.
In theory she could even
become a worm hole.
She can rip you out of your world
and transport you
to a parallel universe.
She's the hole, I'm...
the worm.
Do you have a girlfriend
and you're a little burnt out?
Girlfriend, me? No, no.
Yeah, okay. A few.
Tons. You.
What's a girlfriend?
You'll tell me later. Guys are so weird.
Where are you taking me?
I don't know, wherever you want.
Hi, Elena.
Manel, hi.
- How are you?
- Fine, you?
Fine, awesome. You?
Fine, great.
I'm glad to hear it. I'm great too.
- This is Alba.
- Hi.
- You're Elena Baocchi, right?
- Yes.
Wow, I didn't know I was going
to meet a celebrity!
My latest fling, a student.
We're doing great.
Well, we're starting.
She's barely of legal age,
but she's very smart.
And we're both into science.
She understands almost
everything I explain to her.
Right, Alba?
Alba's cool.
Maybe we can have
a threesome tonight.
Okay, actually...
it's my first time out with her.
All this time reflecting is killing me.
We came here because
I wanted to see you.
I need to know how much longer...
Do you remember Lorenzo?
I remembered you taller.
And you didn't want a boyfriend
who was a model or actor.
That's the last thing you wanted.
You wanted a thermodynamic
boyfriend, remember?
To explain the laws
of physics to you. Well, there's still
a lot left to explain...
It was true at the time.
You were nice to me, you explained
interesting things to me,
we had a great time, but...
But people can't always be right.
Who do you mean, you or me?
Manel, you have a problem.
You explain things like your laws
are real,
but they're only in your head.
You don't see reality.
I'm not a bunch of organized atoms.
And the proof is I've decided
to leave you.
You think you've decided
to leave me.
I'm sorry.
I have more things in common
with Lorenzo.
He helps me with work,
he gives me confidence,
he's calm and sure of himself.
Yeah, I get it.
You're right.
Although you've forgotten
one small detail.
It's no coincidence that he's
another super-massive body.
You see?
That's what I mean,
you can't control reality
and you never stop trying to.
When reality resists,
you try twice as hard
to make it fit into your shitty laws.
What? Forcing reality to fit?
You don't even understand
what you're saying.
Hey! Aren't you going to pay?
Elena, wait!
What do you mean, I force things?
Pablo isn't the one you like?
It's normal, he's very handsome.
Admit it, you like him more.
I don't mind, really,
we're great friends.
You like Pablo more.
Explain it to me?
How do I force reality?
This isn't going to work,
I'm telling you.
I know it's the second time
we've slept together,
but we're totally different.
You with that job, traveling all the time,
and me... You'll get bored with me
as soon as the novelty wears off.
Please! Elena!
The one with the hat? Are you sure
he wants to make a short film?
Or maybe he wants to get
in your pants. I hope the script is good,
but come on, a guy who looks
like that can't be a good writer.
Everything I did was because
I'm crazy about you!
And now you say I force things?
Come on!
Wait. Please, don't leave me.
I've already left you, Manel!
I've already left you.
You know why?
Because that's what you wanted.
You wanted this to fail
from the very beginning.
Because you're incapable of winning,
you only know how to lose.
Because it confirms how smart you are
and how great your theories are.
And I'll tell you another thing.
You can't apply the laws
of physics to love!
You can't! It's madness!
It's total bullshit!
You can't!
No need to pretend, Mr. Suarez.
You know that the electromagnetic
field passes through walls.
From my office I could detect
that today yours is a brown color,
nearly black.
I'm surprised I even still have
an electromagnetic field.
You might lose it completely
when you hear what I have to say.
You can't continue
as my teacher's assistant.
University rules prohibit relations
between teachers and students.
One of our pupils reported you
to the dean.
- But nothing happened...
- No, there's no need to explain.
Life, unfortunately,
doesn't work like science.
The truth is not what matters most.
Whether it's true or not,
there's nothing you can do now.
Don't martyr yourself.
Your pay was crap.
And of course,
your classes were in line.
Which means they sucked.
Everything passes, Mr. Suarez.
Don't forget that.
Even those personal issues
that are upsetting you so much.
That law has less exceptions
than any other I know of.
Would you like to have lunch
with me later?
I'm not trying to make friends,
I only want to make sure
you're not planning
to pad the statistics
on thermodynamic suicides.
Don't worry, I promise not to,
at least until I finish my thesis.
I'm glad to hear it.
In any case, you won't be eligible
for that statistic until it's finished.
There you have it, my friends.
The universe is drifting away and it's
going to leave us even more isolated.
At one time
all of the bodies in the universe
were very close,
squeezed together
in the form of pure energy.
This beautiful theory foresaw
that everyone,
even Elena and me,
would be brought back together
in a warm and eternal embrace.
The Big Rip.
At this point that ending
sounds about right to me.
The force causing this acceleration
has been called dark energy,
basically because we don't know
what it is.
Because it's a mystery.
Maybe I can shed some light
on this point.
This force that distances us
is the same force that stopped
the Manel-body
from truly giving himself
to the Elena-body
and seeing things as they really were.
It's the same force
that destroys true love
and strengthens mediocre
relationships, makes us selfish,
petty and suspicious.
Fear is what made me
hide behind those laws,
I see it clearly now.
So I wouldn't have to face
my own mistakes, my failure.
Elena was right,
thinking they can be applied to love
is insane.
Though the coincidences
are pretty amazing, aren't they?
What do you think?
I'm a mess.
My wife looked to me like a pretty
massive star when she was young.
But she didn't turn out so massive
to become a supernova.
She came out a brown dwarf.
So it's not that bad, right?
I mean, I thought he would diagnose you
with schizophrenia or something.
Are you sure you don't want
to take a look? She's tremendous.
You're the one who'll end up
if you keep talking to people
while looking at photos
of hot women.
I don't want to forget
there's a world out there.
Because there's something worse
than dark energy.
Shit, Pablo. I can't mix physics
with my feelings anymore.
Dark matter is much worse.
You two are having a baby?
Eva was right when she said
down deep I'm a great dad.
Congratulations, man!
We don't know
what dark matter is either.
What we do know is that the universe
behaves like there was more gravity
than corresponds to the bodies
we can see.
That means we attract
and cling to each other
more than we should
according to how attractive we are.
Here's your lunch.
Good lord, what am I doing?
Things were going so well,
why did I have to fall in love?
You say that dark energy
could be fear.
Well, I say that dark matter
is necessity.
And necessity sucks.
What I liked was entropy,
That was my territory.
And I'll tell you something else:
with less entropy, there's less
freedom, because the particles
are tied down!
Isn't that right?
Am I right or not?
I don't know, I'm not listening.
For God's sake!
I need entropy back in my life!
There's still one law missing to
complete our voyage through science:
the third principle
of thermodynamics.
- We'll be at the bar.
- Okay.
That's right,
we'll never be able
to completely forget.
We'll never reach that temperature
that stops
our atoms from vibrating
when we see her.
Congratulations, Elena.
Thanks for coming.
It was very important to me.
I hope you two are very happy.
It's Manel, my ex.
Manel, thanks for coming.
I hope you enjoy the party.
- Elena, look who's here!
- Victor, great to see you!
Congratulations, beautiful.
What are you doing here?
Small world, huh?
I'm a friend of Lorenzo's.
Well, actually we had our own
quantum entanglement.
He's a good guy.
And he's very hot.
But I liked you more.
There you have it.
Once thermodynamics comes
into your life, it never leaves.
Hey, it's Raquel!
- Pablito!
- How are you?
The best girlfriend
this bum ever had!
This is Eva, the best girlfriend
this bum ever had.
- Nice to meet you.
- Likewise.
Although, thanks to my therapy,
I was able to reflect
and I've discovered the law
that truly rules over all of our actions.
It's no doubt the most amazing law
of all time.
But we'll leave it for next time.