Léon.
Lower the blind, the light's bothering me.
I'm hungry, Léon!
- Thank you, my son. - You're welcome, mom.
My feet are frozen.
The dead always have cold feet.
Léon!
The husband has got his sister-in-law pregnant again.
The tumor in her throat has got worse.
She's dying, but they both pretend she isn't.
She spends all day at the hospital
while her husband
is breeding with her sister like a rabbit.
Don't move.
Sara!
Come on, darling.
THE HARDEST THING IN THE WORLD...
The hardest thing in the world is to go to sleep when you can't sleep.
Léon!
I'd like to work all day, like a taxi driver
so I'd arrive home tired and be able to sleep.
Léon!
But I don't know how to do anything.
- Good morning, son. - Good morning, mom.
They're moving.
He's been transferred to Clérmont-Ferrand,
so they'll go to the clinic there,
of course, the sister will stay in Paris.
Ladies and gentlemen, your attention, please.
There may be pickpockets in the station.
For your comfort and security,
we recommend you keep an eye on your personal belongings.
Thank you.
It's going to rain.
Mom gets a migraine when there's a storm.
We've come to say goodbye.
And to see your mother.
My mother is resting.
Will you tell her we called?
Goodbye.
Mom?
It's me.
How do you cook whiting? I've got a guest.
Yes.
Things my mother left when she died.
Dresses, lots of them.
The collection of soap samples.
Her watch and dad's.
Wigs: Four.
Valuable jewels and costume jewelry.
Cuttings of recipes, even though mom never cooked.
Dad's stamp album.
Lots of stockings, underwear.
Aunt's sewing box.
Packs of cards: Nine.
From when mom played bridge on Wednesdays with her friends.
Mom loved bridge.
Postcards from dad and from mom's friends.
The trip to Rome.
A shoebox with a million francs
and an unopened carton of menthol cigarettes.
Photos of her as a girl,
when mom was different, before she met dad.
Mom was pretty then.
All right.
I'll do that, mom.
I've run out of ice, and as I've got guests...
Lola!
What are you doing?
Come on!
Thank you.
A letter from the Crédit Lyonnais, her bank
with the direct billing for water, gas and electricity.
A bank statement,
account No 108334886895
from the same bank with a balance of 27,913 francs.
A new Social Security card.
No 2571157463274.
A letter from Spain, Tembleque, Toledo,
from her mother.
We have a new neighbor.
She arrived fourteen days ago.
She's noisy, like all Spaniards.
Her name is Dolores Martinez and she has a sad smile.
Hello, I'm calling about the ad.
Yes, I'm very interested in the job.
I've got a good appearance.
I'm Spanish.
Thank you.
A brandy and a glass of water.
You looking for work?
Yes.
You like advertising?
I love advertising.
I don't like Indian food.
I'll see if there's a can of stew left.
I'll eat and then watch TV.
Today, Dolores wasn't wearing high heels.
She started handing out leaflets between Belleville and Ménilmontant,
and then from Ménilmontant to Avrom.
Two hours later she came in to Aux Mousquetaires,
which was quiet after breakfast.
She went to the washroom and, I don't know why, stayed there for a while.
When she came out, she took the sign and passed by me,
almost brushing against me.
She walked around the counter and ordered a brandy and a glass of water.
A brandy and a glass of water.
While she was waiting, she played the slot machine.
She put in a coin and lost.
She put in another coin and lost again.
Then a girl with a helmet came in.
Dolores sat down near her
and said today wasn't her lucky day.
Today isn't my lucky day.
Dolores took a drink of brandy,
coughed and took a cigarette from her purse.
As often happens with her, the lighter didn't work
The girl with the helmet looked at her,
took out a lighter and gave her a light.
Dolores took the newspaper and started to look through it,
very interested in the last page.
Then she asked the girl
if she believed in newspaper horoscopes.
Do you believe in newspaper horoscopes?
The girl said nothing.
Dolores asked her what sign she was.
I don't believe in them, but it's fun.
I'm Scorpio, what about you?
The girl told her she was Gemini.
I'm Libra.
I love Libras.
The girl smiled as she drank her coffee
and they started talking about astrology
as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Yesterday, the planets were aligned.
What?
Yes, they were aligned.
They won't be like that again for40 years.
- Didn't you see it on the TV? - No.
40 years, just imagine...
Shit!
Suddenly, Dolores picked up her sign and ran out.
Then her boss, the Pakistani, came in
and asked the waitress how long she’d been there.
How long was she here?
The girl with the helmet said she'd just come in.
- She'd just come in. - Excuse me?
Dolores believes in the stars.
She's Scorpio and trusts strangers.
SCORPIO: THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO WHEN YOU HAVE A BAD DAY
IS TRY TO LIVE ITANOTHER WAY.
I haven't worked for two months.
I had an accident and wrecked the bike.
I'm a courier.
You know what?
I'd rather it had happened to me instead of the bike.
I leave the house every day with the helmet
so my mother thinks I'm going to work.
The best thing you can do when you have a bad day
is try to live it another way.
I'll buy you lunch. I've just been paid.
No, I can't.
I have to have lunch with my mother.
Hey!
- What's your name? - Mine?
Mireille. What's yours?
Mireille, that's lovely.
I'm Dolores.
Lola.
Your hair suits you like that.
If mom were alive, I'd have got up at 7:00.
I'd have carried her to the bathroom
and put on the TV while I was heating the milk.
I'd have brought it to her with some cookies on a dish.
And then she'd have snoozed all morning.
She'd have watched Tele-Shopping.
It's been weeks since I've heard Dolores’ alarm clock
through the wall.
She gets up at midday
and goes down for the paper without tidying herself.
She reads the horoscope and phones up for jobs.
She doesn't find one.
She plays the slot machine and always loses.
No one has come to her house for days.
She's still stealing lingerie to sell on the street.
Autumn has started and it's getting cold.
I'll have to get out the overcoats.
- Here you are, sir. - Thank you.
And your change.
I have to buy a blue shirt.
La Samaritaine's blue shirts are the best
but they never have my size.
Tati's blue shirts are rough and look new.
I don't like things that look new.
If you please, ma'am.
If you please.
I can wear this shirt for a little longer.
Take out the items that you stole, please.
Everything.
Take off your clothes, please.
I've got nothing else. Truly.
Do you know what does this means?
I get 60 francs
for a pair of panties or a bra.
And 80 for the set.
Take off your clothes.
Today Dolores was caught in La Samaritaine.
Dolores isn't looking for work anymore.
Her mailbox is empty.
She only gets bills now. Her balance is 1,200 francs.
She owes 700 francs in 5 bars in 4 different districts.
She has drunk four brandies and several beers.
I've... I've done everything.
I've been...
a waitress in a bingo hall,
a cashier in Tati,
a hostess at a motor show.
I've done surveys over the phone,
on the street,
and door to door.
I've sold encyclopedias.
I've been...
a courier
and a billboard woman.
Now
I'm selling
this lingerie.
It's beautiful!
These panties or the bra for 60 francs!
The set for 80.
I've done everything but blowjobs.
Anyone want me to suck him off?
A hot chocolate.
SCORPIO: TODAY MAY BE YOUR LUCKY DAY.
MAKE THE MOST OF IT.
Dolores is as happy as could be because she's bought new clothes.
She's very clean and very pretty.
Thanks, Dolores.
Dolores!
Hurry, it'll get cold.
See you tomorrow.
Good night, Dolores.
Bye, Dolores.
Bye!
Ladies and gentlemen, your attention, please.
Train No 253 standing at platform 15,
destination Douron, will be leaving in a few minutes.
Thank you.
Good evening.
- Good morning. - Good morning.
Finish the bowl!
Careful, darling.
What was your first time like?
I don't know, horrible.
With a cousin who was much older than I.
In my parents’ bed,
They'd gone to mass with my aunt and uncle.
A friend of mine
says that the first time is always the worst,
but really it is the best.
My first time
was with Ramón.
A boy from the village,
back in Spain.
He had a beauty spot there.
I was crazy about him.
He worked in a tobacconist's
and as it wasn't nice for girls to smoke
I always bought stamps from him.
He had a motor bike
and he'd promised to take me to the beach,
in summertime, to see the sea.
On his motor bike?
It was a Vespa.
I'm from La Mancha
and there, the sea...
So we did it.
He didn't hurt me,
but I was very embarrassed because I bled a lot.
And did he take you to the beach?
He got another girlfriend before the summer.
Next Friday, they're going to the north, to the beach.
The taxi driver has promised to show her the sea.
I don't know what to do, I don't want to travel.
I think I'll stay at home.
- Eyes. - Eyes.
- Nose. - Nose.
- Mouth. - Mouth.
Today, Dolores arrived at 9:00, as usual,
with a blue suitcase.
She greeted the boss, radiant,
because today was the day when she was going to see the sea.
- Morning, boss! - Morning, Dolores!
A little later, the taxi driver's wife came in with their two children.
She sat at the counter and ordered a coffee.
A coffee.
Dolores turned on the coffee machine
and then ran out because the boss called from the kitchen.
Dolores!
The taxi driver's wife didn't say anything,
she watched her go past with two plates
which she served at the other end of the counter.
Then Dolores served the coffee to the taxi driver's wife.
She looked at the children and went back into the kitchen.
The little boy was playing at something or other
and the girl was staring at me because she'd seen me before.
Without even tasting the coffee, the taxi driver's wife took out a coin
and left it on the counter.
She left the bar and went into a phone box across the street.
Hello?
The phone rang in the bar.
The taxi driver's wife spoke seriously, never stopping.
Thank you.
And forgive me.
The taxi driver's wife went off, leading her children by the hand.
Dolores poured herself a brandy
and she drank it.
The she poured another and she drank it.
She took the blue case and left.
We've reached the beach.
The weather is a bit damp and cold.
Today mom would have had a migraine.
Over 20 years ago, mom and I went to the beach.
It was very windy, it was very hot, and the hotel was modern.
Mom was very hot under the umbrella.
She kept asking me for ice cream.
Dolores looks very calm.
I think she's going to swim even though it's so cold.
There she goes,
in her panties and bra.
I hope nothing happens to her because I can't swim.
Come along, my darlings!
Sir!
Change partners!
We've been on vacation for ten days.
Dolores is staying in an hotel at the beach.
As it's winter time, it must be cheap.
I'm aching all over.
I think beaches look sad in winter.
In summer too. I hate the sand.
Yesterday, Dolores did pasodobles all afternoon with some pensioners.
She is radiant.
She seems to have forgotten her taxi driver.
SCORPIO: TIME FOR A CHANGE OF SCENE.
LOOK AFTER YOUR FAMILY.
Mom!
Mom, don't bother. I'm not hungry.
Mom!
Come here, I want to tell you something.
I'm pregnant.
- What...? - You're going to be a grandmother.
We're closing now. It's 2:00, the girls have left.
Didn't you hear me?
You haven't done it much, have you?
They say the first time is the best.
Really it is the worst.
You were lucky with me.
I'm paid to tend the bar, to keep playing the tapes,
to clean up a bit.
It's the mulattoes and the ones from the East who work.
That's me,
with my best friend Lola,
at our local fiesta.
I haven't seen her in years.
She went off with a trucker, French, like you.
Real elegant, he didn't look like a trucker.
Lola's always falling in love.
I've only been nearly in love once.
He was a musician, a trumpet player.
I only saw him when his band played here.
Do you never talk?
I've walked all the streets
and after doing that for an hour
the whole village knows me.
Dolores is going round on an enormous bicycle
with a license plate like the ones postmen used to have in France.
You took my photo.
You can keep it.
Want to see photos?
That's at the pool here.
That's me, and that's Lola in the orange bathing suit.
We'd sit at the edge all day, showing off,
because Lola can't swim.
We talked about her yesterday and then, after so long,
she appears today.
It's like she came with you.
That's my grandpa. He's still alive.
The threshing floor.
That's Yago.
My mother.
The square.
It's nice to be home.
I enjoyed the trip, even just for the pleasure of coming back.
Everything is in order.
Dolores spends her time getting ready for the baby.
Every day she goes to an indoor pool to learn to swim.
She has a job selling sets of saucepans
and gives demonstrations at home.
- Hello. - Hello.
- How are you, Lola? - Fine.
- Hello, Danielle. - Come on, let's go.
Good morning.
I'd like to tell you about the saucepans I'm promoting.
They're fantastic.
I bought a set of saucepans from Dolores.
Today, Wednesday, like every Wednesday at 9:00,
the women came out of their cubicles,
bright, clumsy and happy in their colored bathing suits.
Dolores wasn't among them.
Today the temperatures dropped suddenly.
This morning when I went outside it was like winter
even though it's still autumn.
There's a drip in the sitting room.
It must have been there for days and I didn't notice.
Maybe it's rain water getting in somewhere.
Or maybe it's from the upstairs neighbor's pipes.
I haven't seen Dolores for days.
The drip is growing.
The stain is 8 inches now.
It's growing, but I've got used to the sound.
Mom would have told me to talk to the neighbor,
and I'd have done it.
But the drip isn't so bad.
I miss her as if she were about to come back.
The drip stopped this morning.
Maybe it'll start again.
Should I paint the sitting room ceiling?
You got any ice?
I have a guest.
No, I don't, I'm sorry.
You know him?
You like looking at women?
Stop looking!
Leave him alone.
Stop.
Stop, please.
Leave me alone, please.
Just leave me alone.
I said, leave me alone, for fuck's sake!
Sir.
Dolores is very ill.
Has she lost the baby?
She wasn't pregnant.
Will she live?
Dolores may never regain consciousness.
Will she live?
Dolores is in a coma.
Will she live?
Yes.
What's your relationship with the patient?
She's my wife.
- Your wife’s maiden name? - Martinez.
- Place of birth? - Tembleque.
Excuse me?
Tembleque, it's a small village in La Mancha, Spain.
Do you have her Social Security number?
27611...
276116736014264.
- Age? - She'll be 30 on November 16.
She's Scorpio.
Is she allergic to anything?
This is Dolores' answer phone.
I'm not here. Speak after the signal.
I'll call you back.
Lola...
It's me, Carmen.
Lolita?
Lola.
Your mother is dead, Dolores.
She's being buried the day after tomorrow.
León, what are you doing here?
How are you?
We haven't opened yet. Why don't you stay a while?
We could go into the back room.
No, I have to leave.
I'm just passing through.
Hey!
Do you still have my photo?
Of course.
It's normal in coma patients.
She's opened her eyes, but that doesn't mean she's conscious.
Sir.
Sir!
Waiter, please,
a glass of red wine.
Waiter, please,
a glass of red wine.
Some mustard, please.
A beer.
"Scorpio.
Today could be a wonderful day
if you stay away from those who could cause you problems.
Put some order in your life.
Saturn is ruling. It's possible to be happy."
You see?
I think it's going to snow.
This is Dolores' answer phone.
I'm not here. Speak after the signal.
I'll call you back.
This is a message for Léon Dubonnet.
Can you come to the hospital, please?
Your wife is regaining consciousness.
"Scorpio.
The best thing you can do this summer
is try to live differently."
It's the time of year I earn least,
but I'm happy.
My wife has gone to the beach, so I'm left in peace.
I spend the day driving around town,
listening to the radio.
It's company.
Does the radio bother you?
LOLA