Cleopatra

Robert, I'm home!

Sweetie... where are you?

I made the delivery for the Saenz lady.

I got soaked. All for nothing.

She didn't pay. She told me her husband

has also been fired. He's useless.

She says she'll manage to pay me next week.

Roca didn't pay either.

She made me show her three different creams

and then she tried all the mascaras and rouge.

When I left, she was made up like a clown

and she didn't even buy a little brush.

We have so many shampoos and little soaps.

I don't know who's gonna buy them.

I spent the whole day working and I got no orders.

Have you eaten?

You're staining the spread. Come on!

- Come to bed! - Come to bed!

I don't like it when you smell of wine.

Honestly, Sandra, you can do better.

Tonight you only opened your mouth to say "I'm sleepy".

You could've been nicer to the Mexican guy.

And you didn't have to be so friendly to his wife.

She's not his wife. She's a girl I got him.

I'm working for you. I always work for you.

You're always on my mind.

Are you jealous?

I'm negotiating a deal with Telemundo for a

300-episode soap opera and you can't stand the guy

who's gonna pay 1 million dollars so that you can do what you want.

You know what that means?

Yes, I know.

The slobbering star will go on slicking his tongue in my mouth

in every love scene.

- Who the hell asked you to do anything? - Don't fuck with me.

Do you know what it means to get into the Latino market?

It's the most important production company in LA.

They want to make a movie with you as a star.

You instead of Sandra Bullock. Ever heard of her?

Well, they prefer a Latin American actress.

Did you imagine this when you lived in Villa Adela?

And they wanna sell a doll with your face and your own perfume.

I'll tell you who's working in the film they want to make.

My dad was the director of the William Shakespeare

Theater Company in Arroyo Seco. He loved classics.

He named my eldest brother Mark Anthony, the other brother

Romeo, and me, Cleopatra. My younger sister was going to be

Electra, but she was dead when she born.

I know I have to live up to my name

and I could be disappointed, but I'm not.

I still hope to be able to do wonderful things.

And learn more than I do now.

My dad used to say that I would be a good actress.

I wanted to be an actress, to be somebody else.

But I was already Roberto's girlfriend and he didn't let me.

So I became a teacher. Which is similar in a way.

You say something and other people listen to you.

My daugher, Nancy, got married, lives in the US and has two kids.

And my son Robertito, who lives in Spain and sells handicraft

on the beach. He made this.

I've been married for 37 years.

2 and a half years ago Roberto was fired from the factory

the same month I retired. He didn't expect that.

At first he looked for a job.

With Roberto's severance pay we opened a grocery store.

But soon a supermarket opened opposite our store.

With the little money we still had, we bought a taxi

which was stolen before we could insure it.

Since I retired I worked as a private teacher,

I sewed, I made home-made cakes,

flower arrangements.

I'm selling make-up door to door.

A friend of mine used to say I had many talents:

I can separate my fingers by one, by two;

I can also move my eyes to the side,

this one or this one, or both,

and move my head without moving my body.

That's why I started to care for children and old people.

But the children grew up, and the old people...

My friend used to say that I was born to be a clown.

Poor thing, she died.

But that's another story.

A gigolo.

That's what I am.

An old gigolo.

I'm useless.

I can't even get a job as a laborer.

If I had known at this age I'd be supported by a woman.

I'm not any woman. I'm your wife.

You'll throw that in my face one day.

It always happens.

You're already doing that so...

Robert, think of only one thing:

...everything we have.

We have each other, the kids, our grandchildren.

We did so many wonderful things.

We have loved each other so much.

Promise me you're gonna go on fighting.

Come on, Robert.

Look at a half-full glass, not at a half-empty one.

It's empty now.

Hi.

Nancy, baby! Nancy!

What a surprise, darling! Yes!

How are you?

How are the kids? Billy?

A tooth?

And Elenita?

Dad's OK.

Yes, dad's working too.

Because they changed his shift.

Yes, with overtime. He's quite happy.

Very happy.

Yes, yes.

Yes.

Okay, okay...

I'll tell him you called.

Did Robertito call you?

He didn't call me this month.

I'm not worried. If he calls you, tell him to call me. All right.

Can I talk to Elenita? I'm dying to hear her voice.

Hello? Elenita! Yes, Helen, Helen.

How are you?

The school? How is the school?

The blackboard, the pupil... Yes.

The "gran padre" is very good. Very good.

Yes, dear. He call you, he call you.

I'll tell him.

Me too.

Kiss, kiss, kiss.

It seems Mrs. Saenz will get me a role in this soap opera.

She knows deep inside I'm an actress.

She told me to go to audition. It's easy.

I have to study a text. I know a lot of poems.

If things are transparent and clean, this time I think I'll get it.

Me, on TV...

I'm a bit scared. I haven't acted for a long time!

Well, I never acted, actually...

I need a push. Who knows?

Maybe I end up being famous and we can move.

I told you not to leave food there... The roaches...

Terrible things happen in life!

Terrible things happen in life! I don't know...

Terrible things.

Terrible things...

Terrible things happen in life...

I don't know.

Terrible things happen in life...

Terrible things happen in life...

- Give me this. - OK.

- Terrible things happen... - Ready? - Yes.

You can start.

Good luck.

- Who sent this dork? - I don't know.

You can start.

It doesn't matter if you don't remember the text.

You can say anything, improvise.

What...?

Here it says she was classically trained.

That's a relief.

Please, turn around.

The other way.

Say: "Dinner is ready".

Thanks. We might call you.

Ma'am.

She came to audition and she was so scared she peed.

- And who was she? - An old woman. She'll never forget it.

Don't worry, nobody can tell.

Don't pay attention to them.

Don't make their day. Don't cry.

Don't cry.

- They're waiting for you. - Let them wait.

I have to go.

- If you ever need anything, come and see me. - Thanks.

Do you know who I am?

You have a nice look in your eyes.

How much longer?

When will you realize you're with a man who's worthless?

Why did you have to beat the guy?

They came to cut the power. And they did.

I know, Mecha told me.

The money was inside the sewing case.

- If I had known... - If I "had known"...

What?

"Had known. "

Fuck me!

Did you hear? Fuck me!

So many sacrifices... And for what?

We have a daughter who left us. And a son...

Please!

- You can't stand the truth. - Please.

Ma'am, could you come in?

I'll go.

Robert, where are you? Robert!

Robert?

Why are you talking like that?

Sometimes you make me laugh. Where are you?

Enough, Robert! You've drunken enough. Let's go to bed.

You've drunk enough...

You talk to me as if I were a piece of shit.