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[easygoing jazzy music playing]
It's Friday, and it's almost seven in the evening.
[bike bell dings]
In a few hours, my husband's siblings will be coming over.
They have a family issue to argue about.
And when I say argue, that's because it's the only word that applies
when it comes to Julián and his siblings.
Can I have the other one? You know, the kind you gave me last week.
And some cheese, too, please.
Julián didn't want me to buy anything
but arguing on an empty stomach isn't healthy, right?
There are three of them.
Víctor is the eldest,
then there's Natalia,
and finally Julián, who's my partner.
Natalia's the one who insisted on meeting tonight.
She wants to talk about their father.
My father-in-law is 89 years old.
He's a widower,
and Natalia is right to believe he's no longer able to live alone.
He's getting lost more and more often now,
and recently, he's had this bad habit
of showing the neighbors his penis.
I'm all set. How much?
Natalia says they need to hurry up and make a decision
before things get out of control and something really serious happens.
Víctor already warned us he'd be late tonight.
Apparently, he's swamped at work.
He seems to always be.
Víctor is married to Marisa.
They have four children and two dogs.
[dog yaps]
Víctor and Marisa met when they were young, back in university.
The deal wasn't sealed at first,
but with a little push and a lot of persistence,
Víctor won her over and even managed to get her pregnant.
Víctor's father-in-law, an important and well-known lawyer,
eventually gave him a job at the family law firm.
Although, to this day,
nobody really knows what Víctor does there.
He's all show and no substance. A real phony.
-Well, that's what Julián says. -[horse whinnies]
He's a man who knows that obeying his wife
is the price to pay to keep his dream lifestyle alive.
[car lock chirps]
Natalia. Natalia, on the other hand,
is the complete opposite of her two brothers.
She's very serious, introverted,
obsessively methodical, and a true perfectionist.
She's a highly respected professor,
and, as if that weren't enough,
she spends all of her free time writing articles
and translating them into I don't know how many languages.
Natalia is married to Jerónimo.
They have a daughter,
but Natalia has never truly been happy with him.
Jerónimo cheats on her every chance he gets.
We all know it.
Luckily, Natalia has a good friend she can count on.
The two of them are very close.
They go everywhere together and have wonderful chemistry.
Her friend doesn't have a partner.
I'm not insinuating anything, but
sometimes, I wish Natalia wasn't so serious,
or repressed.
I don't know, maybe loosen up a bit. Just saying.
Bye.
The three of them hardly ever see each other,
but when they do, I love being around to witness how they…
they argue and fight.
-I'm an only child. -[cat meows]
My parents passed away.
So Julián's family is all I have,
and family is the most important thing there is
because a partner…
Mm, let's just say a partner can leave you at any time,
and friendships come and go,
but your family and siblings,
they last a lifetime.
They're really lucky to have each other.
[cat meows]
[toilet flushes]
53 SUNDAYS
[door closes]
That's our front door.
[man] Hello!
It's Julián. He just got home.
He's gonna pretend like he forgot about tonight's meeting.
-That I what? -No, I was talking to myself.
-Ah. -Where have you been?
-I had an audition. -Really? You didn't tell me.
-[Julián] No. -An audition for a TV series?
No, for a commercial.
Well, whatever it is, you'll be on TV, right?
So they say, yeah.
What's the commercial for?
For gazpacho.
I'm the tomato.
-Good. -I'd like to take a shower.
Perfect.
But hurry, they'll be here any second.
-Honey, who'll be here any second? -Natalia and Víctor.
-They're coming over, remember? -Today? Are you sure?
You said Friday, right? Today's Friday.
-I guess I purposely forgot about it. -I guess so.
Mm. I see you bought some snacks?
I bought a few things, yeah.
-Because I knew you would forget. -What does that mean?
Doesn't mean anything. Relax.
Okay, okay, but the thing is
you know the more food we lay out on the table, the longer they'll stay.
-Yeah, but they never come over, so… -[phone pings]
[Julián] Hmm.
I work as a nurse in a hospital.
Julián is an actor.
But lately, he's been having trouble finding work. Poor guy.
He got a few parts in TV shows and plays back in the day,
but, after that, things didn't pan out for him.
We've been together for five years. It was love at first sight.
Mostly for him.
We don't have children, and we rent this apartment.
I have three missed calls from Natalia.
Mm-hmm. Yeah, she's been wanting to talk to you since noon.
I told her to call you on your cell.
-What did she want? -To know if you've spoken to Víctor yet.
-About what? -About a light bulb.
-A light bulb. Why? -I don't know.
But apparently it's really important. That's why she won't stop calling you.
Natalia always has to blow things out of proportion.
Seriously, a light bulb?
Carolina.
Yes?
-That stays in the closet. -I need it because I bought flowers.
And since we don't have any other vase, I'm gonna use this one.
-It was sitting in the closet. -No, it wasn't.
It was hidden in the closet. It sounds the same, but it's not.
Look, this was a gift from your brother, and since he's coming over…
He's coming over, yeah, okay, and?
You said you were taking a shower.
How many times do we have to talk about this?
I wanted to throw that thing out the window, but you didn't let me.
-Oh yeah, that's true. -Hmm.
[cat meows]
There's nothing else to put the flowers in.
-I'm sure you did this on purpose. -Oh, we almost forgot to feed the cat.
-Carolina. -Yes. Now what?
Did you buy flowers because you wanted to take the vase out of the closet?
No, I bought the flowers because they're pretty
and because it adds a little something for our guests.
[Julián] Hmm.
Listen, they're my siblings. They're not our guests.
No need to make anything look good.
Quite the opposite.
Honey, I don't think you understand how family dynamics really work.
-Best to stay out of it. -Why is that?
Because family dynamics say a lot. This vase was meant to insult us.
I don't think it's that ugly.
It's an insult, and you know that perfectly well.
It's ugly, it's tacky, and it's pretentious.
Just like my brother.
I don't know if you remember, but
it was Víctor's Christmas gift to us.
And then what? We find out that he got it for free from some department store.
Could you do me a favor?
And he must've thought,
“Since I have to get a gift for my dumbass little brother,
might as well give him this shitty vase and pretend it's something expensive.”
-A favor? -Open a tin of anchovies.
I'm sorry, one last thing. The fact that you think it's a good idea
to put that thing in the middle of the dining room
just for Víctor to see and think we care about his crappy vase
really makes me mad.
Relax, I'll put it in a corner or something.
I don't need to relax, okay. Don't I look relaxed to you?
It's hard to say, sweetie.
Did you have a bad day?
Not up until now.
Honey, all I'm saying is we have to be careful with gestures.
You might hope that he'll notice the vase, but he might not care about it at all.
Get it? We don't need to give him special treatment.
It's not like he's the president or something. He's just my brother.
-You see what I mean? -I see what you mean.
And not only are they coming over, now we have to feed them, too, of course.
Knowing him,
he clearly had it all planned out from the start.
Are we not sophisticated enough to go over to his palace? No!
Of course not. We might ruin one of his Persian rugs.
Carolina, is it possible I'm overreacting?
-Maybe a bit. -Hm?
Okay, shower time.
-[elegant classical piano music playing] -[cat meows]
[bell dings]
-What should I do with the anchovies? -Go ahead and put them on the toast.
-What time did you tell them to come? -I told Víctor to come around eight.
-Okay but it is eight. -I know.
But he's gonna be half an hour late, as always,
because cool guests like Víctor or his wife
want to be the last to arrive so that their presence feels like a favor.
Yeah, but your sister is never late.
That's why I told her to be here right at nine.
I'm sure you wanna know why I told her nine.
More than anything.
Because my sister, as always, will be half an hour early.
I planned it so that both of them meet at the front door at exactly 8:30,
come up together, and won't bust my balls.
Siblings are just so… exhausting, honey, but that's something you can't understand.
Your sister shows up early because she wants to help.
No, no, no. That isn't helping, it's being in the way.
But, you know, that's the way she is,
always trying to lend a hand
to make sure everything goes according to plan.
This meeting says it all.
My father got distracted and took the wrong bus home.
Yeah, sure, we had to go pick him up on the other side of town.
So what?
Does it mean we should lock him up in a nursing home? I don't think so.
-And you know what else? -I'm listening.
My father likes showing his dick around. Just let the guy do it.
-I'm okay with that. -Right.
It's his way of saying goodbye to life. Us men don't show feelings.
-We show our private parts. -Right.
That's one way to see it, but let's hold that discussion for another day.
Like when were not about to have guests.
[phone ringing]
-Natalia. -[Natalia] Hello Julián.
-Can I ask you something? -Yes.
-Should I bring anything over? -No, no, don't bring anything at all.
Mm. You'll be here any minute, right?
-No, not at all. -Where are you?
Home. I'll see you tomorrow.
-Tomorrow? -We're meeting tomorrow, right?
Oh. We're not meeting today?
-No, tomorrow, Saturday. -Tomorrow, Saturday.
-Is that a problem? -No, no.
Don't worry, it's okay. No, I… I must've misunderstood.
-I left you messages. -Oh, no. Don't worry about it.
We'll just have to throw the anchovies away. That's okay.
-No! Keep them for tomorrow! -I know. I'm joking.
Perfect, I'll see you tomorrow at 8:30.
-8:30. -No! At nine.
-For you, it's nine. -At nine then.
-See you. -Bye.
Bye.
That's a pity, no one will see our beautiful vase.
Guess it's time to go let it sit in the closet.
[playful jazzy piano music playing]
[woman] Five, four, three, two, one!
It's Saturday
and it's almost seven in the evening, again.
This morning, Julián woke up in a really bad mood.
He wants to cancel tonight's meeting.
He's convinced that yesterday's misunderstanding wasn't his fault.
It was Natalia's or Víctor's.
Apparently, they make decisions and change their plans without letting him know.
Julián says it's always been that way, ever since they were children.
It has something to do with him being the youngest child
who's usually the one who gets mistreated.
Luckily, after lunch, he lightened up
and came to terms with tonight's meeting.
Natalia.
-Ah. -[Carolina] You're right on time.
-I'm actually early. I wanna help out. -Of course. [chuckles]
-How are you? -I'm good.
Come in.
[music fades out]
[Natalia] Julián.
Natalia.
I… I… I was ringing the bell, but there was no answer.
Ah, that's because I was doing my relaxation exercises.
I always do them before having guests over.
[both chuckle]
-Is Víctor here yet? -No, no. How weird.
I was hoping you'd arrive together.
I guess someone misunderstood me.
-Who did? -No one. It's all good.
-I'll be right back. -Where are you going?
I need to run to the store to buy some cat food.
-Can I come with you? -Yes, go with Julián.
Are you sure?
I thought we'd wait another hour before we start arguing.
I'll take a shower, in the meantime because I didn't take one at the gym.
After you.
[Natalia] I called you three times yesterday.
Yes, I know.
Carol mentioned
you were worried about a light bulb apparently?
-Yes, I am indeed. -Hm.
You know full well how hysterical your sister can get.
-Are you upset? -Somewhat.
But you never get upset, Miss Perfect.
-Some things need to change. -Sure, but you could have told me sooner.
Yeah, whatever. Have you changed it or not?
-The light bulb, right? -Yes, the light bulb, Julián.
All right, but exactly which light bulb are we talking about?
-The one in Dad's bathroom, obviously. -Ah.
Didn't Víctor tell you?
Who is Víctor?
The light bulb in Dad's bathroom is flickering.
-It's flickering? -Yes.
-Dad says that it does little blinkies. -Little what?
Blinkies. He said it won't stop turning on and off.
The poor man has been asking for someone to come and help out.
-Hm. -So please can you fix it this week?
Yes, I'll do it, okay?
Don't worry about it. Relax.
But I am relaxed. Don't I look relaxed to you?
It's hard to say, Natalia.
Blinkies, what the hell is that? Seriously, what a crappy word.
[Natalia sighs]
I mentioned it to Víctor a few days ago.
-He said he'd talk to you about it. -Mm-mm.
That he'd call and that you'd change it really soon.
-Excuse me? -Yeah?
Can you repeat what you just said please?
That… he would, uh… he'd call.
The second part of the sentence?
He'd make sure you'd change it really soon.
Why should I do it?
I have no idea, Julián, because someone has to do it.
I agree someone has to change it, but why me?
-Víctor can't do it himself? -Or, I don't know, the maid?
Julián, the maid is even older than Dad.
She'd probably fall and break her neck, and Víctor…
And Víctor?
We both know he's always swamped with work and…
Yes, yes, I forgot. He works a lot.
Poor him.
-[woman] Good evening. -Hello.
[Julián] Good evening.
And how did he say it?
Say what?
The words, the way he said it.
When you spoke about the blinkies.
Did he say, "Julián will do it."
"He'll change the light bulb because he has nothing better to do"?
It's a light bulb, Julián, nothing else.
Yeah, and Víctor is far too refined to change Dad's light bulb.
People of his rank don't do manual labor.
And since I still owe him money…
-You still owe him money? -Bye.
Yes. And?
Julián, come… come on, we're only talking about changing a light bulb for Dad,
and Víctor said you'd probably have more time than he does.
Of course, and why do you think he said that?
Because he thinks I'm the family's janitor
and the butler and the little caddie.
No, I won't change the light bulb.
What are you doing?
Looking for my keys.
But… what do you think we should do then?
I don't know.
Put it on the meeting's agenda.
We'll talk about dad's penis problem first,
and we'll see who changes the light bulb after.
-Other than that, how are you doing? -Extremely well.
I won't go into details, but everything's great.
-How about you? -May I have a glass of water please?
-I need to take a pill. -[Julián] Mm. You and your migraines.
Don't start.
Oh! What beautiful flowers.
[Julián] Oh, I know. So beautiful.
If you like them, go ahead, they're all yours.
And take the vase with it.
-A two-in-one deal. -[Natalia] Hm.
Thank you.
[sighs]
I'm listening. What can I do?
Well, you can put the anchovies on the toast.
-Perfect. -[cat meows]
You still haven't told me if you liked it?
-Liked what? -If you liked the book.
-[cat meows] -What book?
-The novel. -What novel?
The one that Víctor… has written.
[whimsical piano music playing]
My brother wrote a novel?
Dad needs a new washing machine because, you know, the one he has---
-Natalia. -Yeah, what?
There's no need to change the subject, you know?
-Oh, was it that obvious? -More or less.
-I had no idea you didn't know. -No big deal.
No, of course, it's no big deal. Why would it be?
[Julián] Hmm.
Surely Víctor told you, but you must have forgotten because sometimes you're very…
I'm very what?
-Well, you know, you often forget things. -Huh.
He'll give you the novel. Don't worry about it. Relax.
I am relaxed. Don't I look relaxed to you?
I couldn't be more relaxed. I feel fucking great.
-Okay. -Well, well, well…
-[music fades out] -It appears my brother wrote a novel.
Wow. How impressive!
-It's just a novel. Let's not exaggerate. -Hmm? We're not! It's great news.
And since when does my brother write novels?
Why don't we talk about Dad? That's why we're here.
We're just chatting, catching up while waiting for the artist.
-So, since when? -I… I don't know.
-I really don't. -Yes, yes, you know. Tell me, come on.
I don't know, Julián. It's been a while now.
-A year, more or less? -No way.
-Yeah. -One year, seriously?
Is it something you talk about very often?
No, no, every once in a while.
Mm. When I'm not around.
Yes, Julián, mostly when you're not around.
He told me about the novel because he asked for my advice.
Wow. He wanted your advice.
It's just a hobby he does on Sundays.
What? A hobby he does on Sundays? What the heck does that mean?
That he wrote the novel on Sundays.
-On Sundays? -Yes, Julián.
The first page mentions it.
It took 53 Sundays for him to write the novel.
[Carolina] Almost done!
-53 Sundays. -Mm-hmm.
That's incredible.
-Now it all adds up. -What does?
Why he never answers the phone when we call him.
Writing a novel seems really difficult, Julián.
-No, do not defend him. -I'm not defending him.
Yes, you were just about to because that's what you always do.
I'm just saying that it's probably not that easy to write a novel.
Exactly, and what you're trying to imply right now
is that, since writing a novel is very complicated and a lot of work,
our dear Víctor never has the time to pick up the phone when someone calls.
Especially when it's his dumb little brother,
which, of course, is me.
Oh, come on, Julián. You know how Víctor is.
He… he… he answers when he has time or when he feels like it or when he can…
And why did he?
And why did he what?
Why did he write a novel? He's up to something?
I'm not sure. He might just need to get things off his chest or--
-Get things off his chest, wow. -You know what I mean, Julián.
Yes, I do, Natalia. I certainly do.
Let's hope that's true.
-Poor him. -Hmm.
I saw Dad's neighbor yesterday,
and we talked about, uh, when Dad… showed her his genitals.
-Ah? -Wanna know what she said?
And what did you think of his little novel?
Uh… don't make fun of him. Cut it out, Julián.
-I'm not making fun of him. -You called it a "little novel".
-Sarcastically, too. -I did?
-Mm. -[toilet flushes]
You're right, I won't deny it. That's who I am.
I'm just jealous.
Deep down, I truly admire our big brother.
Mm? You admire him?
-[Julián] A lot. -[Natalia] Ugh…
-Carol, can I use the bathroom now? -Yeah.
-It's all yours. -Thank you. Thanks.
Víctor hasn't arrived yet?
He's about to.
-So? Spit it out! -I'll tell you in a second.
And, um… what… what's it about?
Is it spicy?
[Natalia] It's… a bit long.
-Ooh! Did you tell Víctor that? -[Natalia] No.
But he calls every single day to ask me if I finished reading it.
He's really annoying. He said he wants my honest opinion.
Oh shit, that sucks.
And he asked that I be objective.
-Telling the truth gets you nowhere. -[Natalia] But I don't know how to lie.
You can learn. It's simple.
Telling the truth is just a bad habit.
[softly] My brother wrote a novel.
-A novel? -Mm-hmm.
-[Natalia] Amazing, no? -[Julián] Mm-hmm.
You must be really proud. I mean, look at you.
-Now what did I do? -No, nothing, nothing.
Just that he holds you in such high regard.
Your opinion basically means the world to him, Natalia.
Listen, Julián, my opinion isn't better than anyone else's,
so please don't start.
Víctor thinks my opinion and this cactus are pretty much on equal footing.
[Natalia] That's enough, Julián. You're overreacting.
He'll give you the novel, and if he doesn't, good for you.
You won't have to read the thing
and be forced to tell him your honest opinion about it!
Oh.
-Oh… -Yeah, she changed.
Now she… she gets upset.
-Good for you. -Yeah, well…
Besides, Víctor, he values you for other things.
-Like what? -Like… like for so many other things.
Did you hear that, Carol?
-My big brother loves me. -That's great!
[whimsical piano music playing]
-[music stops] -So when did he give it to you?
I… I don't know. Several months ago?
Oh, okay, it was months ago, huh?
Yes. The day we went to Dad's house for his birthday.
You weren't there that day. That's maybe why he didn't give it to you.
No. I was there that day.
-No, Julián, you weren't. -Yes, I got there late, but I was there.
-Really? -[Julián] Yes.
But our little Dostoyevsky didn't have an extra copy for me.
Julián, why do you make these things more complicated than they are?
I'm sure there's a reason.
He probably didn't have any more copies left,
or… or something like that.
An exclusive edition just for the lucky few?
Most likely, yes.
-[Julián] Lucky you! -Stop it.
If Víctor isn't here in five minutes, I'm leaving.
-How's the book cover? -Mm… not bad.
It's an important detail.
I don't know, Julián. It has one, okay?
-Is it a hardcover, nice and solid? -Not really, no.
I knew it. All rich people are cheapskates.
-Hey, what's your baby's name? -Fanny.
-Fanny, that's cute. -Yeah.
-Did you feed her yet? -Yes, yes. I did, honey.
And did you like it?
Uh-oh…
-Uh… -Why the face?
What face?
The face you make when you don't know what to say.
Can I smoke inside?
No, the cat is asthmatic.
[Julián] Natalia, it's okay if you didn't like the novel.
You can tell me.
You know what? To be honest, it wasn't bad.
-Oh really? It wasn't bad? -Pretty good.
Not bad or pretty good? Because it's not the same thing.
It wasn't bad, but it could be even more…
-Ooh… -"Ooh," what?
Usually, nobody likes what comes after those words.
There are several things that don't quite work.
For example?
There are too many characters and way too many narrative levels.
Uh-oh. Oh no, no, no.
Don't tell me he went overboard on the narrative levels…
And the ending, oh, the ending. It's misconstrued.
-And a misconstrued ending? -It's an easy read.
Not exactly entertaining, but…
-So, in other words, it's a… -It's his first novel, Julián. It's--
I know it's his first novel, Natalia, but still, it's a…
-It's a… -It's a what?
-It's a… -What is it, Natalia?
Say it, come on!
It's a piece of crap!
[phone ringing inside]
[Carol] I got it!
-[sighs] -I'm very proud of you.
[phone ringing inside]
Well, I'm not proud of hating my brother's first novel and tearing it down,
but it seems to make you happy.
[Julián] Yes, it's cruel. It's true, I admit it.
That's who I am,
and besides, I don't think we should be rewarding arrogance.
Ah, so his arrogance is what led him to want to write a novel.
Well, obviously.
Whatever the case, could you not tell him what I just said?
-Please. I feel awful. -Of course I won't.
-I'm not that cruel. -Poor guy spent all his Sundays writing.
-Yeah, poor him and poor you. -Poor me, why?
Because he asked for your advice,
and now you're gonna have to tell him that his little novel is a piece of crap.
Isn't that right, Natalia, huh?
-Who called? -Víctor.
Ah. Is he here? Must I go down and park his BMW?
No, he said he actually can't come.
He's staying in Marbella because tomorrow, they planned to go sailing
and that's it's… best you reschedule and meet next week.
-[Natalia] Hmm… -[Carol] Or… whenever you want.
You see, Natalia, always the same story.
I truly admire our big brother.
I mean, who wouldn't?
Because his life is so hard yet so easy.
So who's going to change Dad's light bulb now?
[lighthearted piano music playing]
-[Carol] Leave it, Natalia. -I don't mind. I'll take the plates.
[Carol] Thanks.
[thunder rumbling]
[Carol] After last Saturday's second failed attempt,
the three of them decided to meet during the week.
Natalia begged Julián not to get into a fight with Víctor
and say anything about the other day's "unfortunate display of disrespect."
Those were Julián's exact words, by the way.
-Have you been waiting long? -No, no, not at all, no.
Just awful timing for so much rain. My goodness.
-[Julián] Did something happen? -Uh… No. No. Why?
Oh, because, uh… you're on time for once.
-Sure you don't wanna take off your shoes? -[chuckles]
-They're soaking wet, aren't they? -Yeah, they are. I'll take them off.
-Yeah. Make yourself at home. -Sorry.
[Víctor chuckles] I almost took my umbrella this morning,
but then I decided not to. [sighs]
Wow, look at those flowers. They're beautiful!
-Aren't they? -Yeah.
They're starting to wilt, though,
but thanks to this vase, they still look great.
-Don't you think so? -Eh?
-The vase looks good, doesn't it? -Oh, uh… yeah… um…
-I brought some wine. -Oh, but you shouldn't have, Víctor.
Come on, Carol, you know me, I'm no cheapskate.
It's a grande réserve.
A Bordeaux. You probably never tried anything like it.
-Oh. -No, probably not.
That's because we only buy the cheap stuff in this house.
-[chuckles nervously] -Right?
-How are your girls doing? -Good! They're doing good.
I wish they'd hurry up and find boyfriends so that they'd move out because, uh…
And your wife?
Marisa is doing great. More beautiful than ever.
She would've come, but since Natalia insisted
that we have this meeting without the in-laws, well…
Natalia is right, otherwise this meeting will last forever, and we don't want that.
Are you sure you don't want to take off your wet socks? Mm?
-Oh. -Julián, give him your slippers.
My slippers?
No. I will not.
No, no, no, it's okay, Carol,
and besides, we don't want this meeting to take too long.
That's the spirit, Víctor. That's the spirit.
Hey, Julián, if you agree with me
that there's no need to… to put Dad in a nursing home…
Thanks. Then it's the two of us against Natalia.
Let's just find someone to help him out around the house,
and that's it, end of story.
You do agree with me, don't you?
My lawyers told me to not say anything until the Holy Trinity assembles.
-Oh, Carol… -Yeah?
Uh… I feel bad that I had to cancel last Saturday,
but… but we had to go to Marbella, unfortunately.
[Carol] Oh, don't worry about it. These things happen.
Víctor, I don't know how you manage being rich.
It seems tiring.
If only you knew, Julián. It's… it's… exhausting.
Exhausting. That's what I thought.
Anyway, I had promised
to take my father-in-law and some of his friends sailing.
Can you believe they crossed the whole country just for that?
Such… important people, Julián, with really big bank accounts.
Right, of course, important and rich people before family.
Say no more. Relax, don't worry, hmm?
It wasn't a bother at all.
We hadn't prepared much, just a few little snacks.
Exactly. Those anchovies love going in and out of the fridge.
-They've never felt more alive. -Anchovies, sounds delicious.
Fresh from the market?
No, fresh from the tin.
I'll get you those slippers, okay? Let's warm those feet.
[church bell pealing]
So how are you doing? How's… life?
Life's great. Everything's great.
And you?
Any news to share? Anything worth telling me about?
No, no, no, no, no. Why?
No. For nothing. Just asking to be up to date.
I sent you an update last week about Marisa and the kids.
Not much has happened since then, nothing noteworthy or exciting.
Ah, if nothing noteworthy or exciting happened,
then I feel so much better now.
-I've been swamped with work lately. -[Víctor] Oh, really?
They can't survive two days without me. I'm impossible to replace. [chuckles]
Careful now, if they promote you to CEO, you'll be busier than ever.
You're right, I should watch out.
[Julián] You should. Mm.
It's as if we're not even brothers.
We're nothing alike, you and I.
-Care to explain? -Isn't it obvious?
I always want more, and
you're happy with the bare minimum.
[mischievous piano music playing]
I'm making this face because I'm not sure how to react yet.
Ah… I hope my comment didn't offend you, Julián.
The jury's still out on that.
[both laugh]
I swear I love your sense of humor.
I always admired you for that.
You never take anything seriously even when nothing is working out for you.
I've learned not to take things personally, Víctor.
-[beeping] -Excuse me.
The slippers.
Ah.
I need to go to the pharmacy. I'll be back shortly, though, okay?
-So please wait till I'm back to fight. -Come on, Carol.
-[beeping] -[music stops]
Lately, I've been reminding myself
that next time I see you, I need to tell you something.
-But now that I'm here… -Go ahead.
-I just can't remember what. -Well, it must be serious.
Don't know. It'll come back to me.
Oh. For a while now, I've been trying to call you, but you never answer.
When?
-On Sundays. -On Sundays?
Mostly after lunch.
-Mostly after lunch? That's strange. -Oh really? Why's that?
I'm always home on Sunday afternoons.
You're home every single Sunday afternoon, you say?
Every single Sunday afternoon, I'm home, even if we leave for the weekend.
I make sure to be back after lunch.
-It's a habit of mine. -Good for you.
And I never answer the phone when I don't know who's calling, so maybe that's why.
-Never ever? -No. [tuts]
Because I don't want to… be distracted.
Certainly not when you're
focused on doing your things, right?
That's exactly it.
Doesn't it feel amazing
to get to spend a little quality time with yourself?
To think, reflect, let your thoughts flow freely in your mind
and get things off of your chest
and just get to express everything you need to.
Julián, exactly! You summed it up perfectly.
Yeah, I know.
I'm gonna hang the clothes. It stopped raining for now.
It'll take a minute. You stay here.
If Natalia rings, let her in, please.
Can I come with you?
That's up to you, Víctor.
I'll come with you.
Why all the phone calls?
I needed some advice, but since you weren't answering,
I called Natalia.
-Ah. What a shame. -Nah.
Obviously, she took the opportunity to get in my head and go on about Dad.
I don't know. Sometimes I think she's suffering from some kind of illness.
She… she always takes life seriously, like it's a Greek tragedy.
You know, I couldn't have said it better.
Like this super urgent meeting we're having.
Dad got distracted and took the wrong bus,
and we had to pick him up on the other side of town. So what?
-So what? -Yeah, so what?
Just the other day, I had three missed calls from her.
-Three missed calls! -What did she want?
Because dad's light bulb, it's… it's doing… little blinkies?
Yeah, I heard.
I told her to calm down and that you'd go over there and change it really soon.
She… she might've mentioned that, yeah.
Do it soon before she loses it completely. Lately, she's been so annoying.
Yeah, but you see, Víctor, the thing is that I'm quite busy lately.
Hmm.
Really? Do you have a new project?
It's a work in progress. I had an audition.
-For a TV show? -No, for a commercial.
Oh, a commercial, pretty good. For what?
Gazpacho.
They're searching for an experienced actor to play a tomato.
-A tomato. -Yes.
[tuts]
Julián,
this job of yours, it… it breaks my heart.
-Does it? -Yes.
[elevator pings]
Kind of strange that Natalia still isn't here, though.
Yeah, she's usually early.
Wow.
It's actually quite nice up here, Julián.
-Not bad, right? -Not bad at all!
Nothing like my house, which is, uh… [chuckles]
[Julián] Yeah, yeah, yeah.
-You look good by the way. -I am good. Good, good, good.
Especially if we don't go into details.
So you have some time, then?
Some time?
Yeah, to go to Dad's place and change that light bulb that's always…
Always flickering, yes.
-Yes, but there's a problem, Víctor. -What problem?
You see, I… I don't think I'll have time
with my new tomato commercial and walking the cat,
but you, you probably have some time now, especially on Sunday afternoons?
-Sunday afternoons? No. -Hmm?
No. No.
-You know what? -What?
Natalia can change the light bulb herself.
-Natalia? -Yeah, why not?
-She can fix it, you're right. -Exactly!
-Why should we do it? Because we're men? -Women are modern now!
And such feminists, aren't they?
Let's let them take care of the light bulbs.
Enough with us poor men doing it all. The joke's on them now.
-Blinkies. -Almost got us, Natalia.
Almost.
With all her master's degrees, she must know how to change a light bulb.
Don't fall for that little innocent face of hers,
or, let me tell you, you're screwed.
And she'll never tell you what she really thinks. Never.
Even if you ask her to be objective?
All right, maybe then. Yeah, yeah.
She's not gonna… like it at first, but yeah.
Don't worry, relax.
I am relaxed. Don't I look relaxed to you?
Oh, it's just a figure of speech.
Uh, I need to wash my hands. Where's the bathroom?
Where it's always been. End of the hall, on the right.
[Víctor] Hm.
Ah, Julián!
I remember what I had to tell you.
Nothing that important. It's silly, really.
I wrote a novel.
[tentative piano music playing]
-A novel? You? -[music stops]
Yeah, yeah, your older brother, yeah.
Yes, I know you're my older brother.
It looks like you don't know what to say.
I'm speechless. I mean, I'm impressed. I had no idea you wanted to do that.
You know, Julián, I'm a man who likes challenges.
Oh, we know. Your whole life is an adventure.
Julián…
-[Fanny meows] -[Julián] No…
-I'm really excited for you. -Seriously?
-Yes, I want you to… -Is that for me? Wow, what an honor.
I'd like you to read it as well.
[Julián chuckles]
Listen, these things can really make me emotional.
Uh, give it back to me. I'll sign it for you.
Do you have to?
Well, it's the appropriate thing to do, and since I'm here…
In that case…
[gentle piano music playing]
[Víctor] Mm… [clears throat]
-If you can't think of anything to write-- -No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
-Another day, okay? -What? No, it's coming, it's coming.
-Hm. -Don't worry.
[softly] Ah.
[music stops]
[Julián] Mm.
Mm. Mm-hmm. Mm.
-"To my little brother…" -Mm-hmm.
-"…who may not seem like it…" -Hmm?
"…but deep down, is."
I don't know what to say, really. I'm totally speechless.
-[bell dings] -At a loss for words.
-Julián? -Yes?
-I do have one thing I wanted to ask you. -Don't say anything.
-There's no need. -Yes, yes, I have to ask.
No, no, no. You don't, it's okay.
You want me… to tell you what I think about it
after I've finished reading it, hmm?
To be objective and, above all, honest with you, right?
Oh wow, Julián.
That's exactly right.
I saw it coming.
And let me tell you,
even if I wanted to, I could not not be honest with you.
You know, I hesitated about giving it to you.
I wasn't sure at all.
[curious piano music playing]
Oh, no? Why's that?
[sighs] Well, because I thought you'd feel you were obliged to read it,
that, I don't know, it would be a chore.
No, no, not at all. I really want to read it.
You're not a big reader, so it might be harder for you.
You mean more than other people?
Much harder because you don't do it regularly, Julián.
All right, so you think that
it'll be harder for me to understand than it would be
for, say, our sister?
-[music stops] -[chuckles] Much, much harder.
Ah, yes, huh?
Clearly. Look, Natalia has two university degrees,
and she speaks and reads in four languages.
She's also accustomed to abstract thinking.
And you…
I'm just a tomato.
They're totally different professions, Julián.
I can't argue with that.
This novel is, uh… complex.
Yeah. I'll bet there are levels of narratives.
-How do you know? -I can imagine.
There are many, many levels…
In the end, you don't understand a thing.
You what?
Don't worry about it, I like complicated stories.
This isn't my first book.
-I've read a few little novels. -[phone ringing]
-"Little" novel? -Novels.
Novel. The phone.
-Carol? -[Carol] Natalia called.
-Yes. -She's in bed with one of her migraines.
Yes.
-She wants to reschedule. -Yes.
What are you doing?
Huh? Oh, nothing.
It's just a little game we've been playing in this house lately.
We take the anchovies out for some air, and then we put them back in the tin.
What did Carol say?
Nothing much, just that Natalia called her,
and she's very sorry, but she's in bed with one of her mega-bad migraines
and she can't make it today.
You serious?
-Oh boy, that's disappointing. -Mm.
It's quite the trend nowadays. You host a dinner, and no one shows up.
Haven't you heard of it?
What should I do? Stay for dinner or… what?
You don't have to.
That's right. Better to save it for when the three of us are together, hmm?
I totally agree, yes. We wouldn't want to argue and waste it.
Remember, you have to call Natalia.
Yes. I'll call her. Sure.
What am I calling Natalia for?
[Fanny meows]
To tell her to change the light bulb in the bathroom.
Ah, yes, yes, that's right.
-She should go and change that light bulb. -Revolution does have its price.
It most certainly does.
-Well, we'll speak later. -Sounds good.
-Give Carol a kiss for me. -I will.
Julián,
that vase over there,
it's really tacky.
You should put out the one I gave you guys.
-[chuckles] -[jaunty piano music playing]
It's 6:45 in the evening, and it's Friday once more.
I just finished my shift at the hospital, and Julián must be on his way too.
He shot the commercial.
He had to get up really early, my poor baby.
Víctor and Natalia are already there.
They arrived at the same time.
-That'll make Julián happy. -I'm sure he'll be here soon.
[Carol] Looks like Víctor may have left his phone in the car, though.
I left my phone in the car.
Yesterday, Julián threw out the flowers because they were past it.
He also put the vase back in the closet,
but… from what I can see, Natalia has brought us some fresh flowers.
I saw them in the window.
I was passing by the florist, and I thought…
They're beautiful, really, but you shouldn't have.
Yes, of course, I had to. I mean, I didn't show up the other day,
and I know how much you love flowers.
Oh, very much so. Especially Julián.
He's not answering. I've been trying since last night.
-He's not answering. -Who?
My father. He doesn't know how to use the hearing aid properly,
so he never picks up.
Why don't you bring him and the kids over one day, and we'll have lunch, hmm?
-I really like it when you come by here. -[Natalia] Yes.
She likes it a little too much. This could end badly.
-Julián. -We thought you weren't home.
We finished earlier than I thought.
Natalia, how is that migraine of yours?
-Uh, better, better. -[Julián] Mm.
I felt terrible for not coming the other day.
We felt worse.
We had no choice but to criticize you.
[all chuckle]
Look at these nice flowers Natalia brought.
I hear you really like them.
More than you know.
Where's Víctor?
He went back to his car. He forgot his phone there.
Ah, those artists, they can be so absent minded.
You won't believe it. We ran into each other downstairs.
-What a coincidence! -Yes, I know, isn't it?
[Julián] A lot of work goes into that, Natalia.
How was the shoot?
Oh, did you shoot today?
A TV series?
-I've got to have a shower. -A commercial.
Ah, that's nice, what was it for?
-Why won't you tell her? -It's not that big of a deal.
-[Carol] Gazpacho. -[Natalia] Huh?
He was the tomato.
Ah, w… well… that can be really interesting, too.
[Fanny meows]
[Natalia] Uh, it can't be easy playing a tomato.
Well, well.
Víctor told me that he finally gave you a copy of his novel.
You must be happy now, right?
I'm not so sure.
You were so excited to read it.
-He's read it twice already. -Really?
-That was fast. -Mm.
He spent the whole afternoon on the couch. It looked like he wasn't breathing.
Uh, are we talking about the little novel that Víctor wrote?
It's not a little novel.
Don't tell me you liked it?
He liked it a lot.
Uh! No, this is one of your jokes, right?
Do you know how mad that makes me? This is horrible, Natalia.
But it's impossible. How on earth could you have liked that book?
I don't know. That's why I'm so worried.
[Natalia] Uh…
There's gotta be a reason, Julián.
I hope so.
-[Natalia] Maybe you didn't understand it. -That's what I thought at first.
Then I reread it, and I liked it even better than the first time.
-I really love the metaphors. -A lot.
-What metaphors? -I didn't want it to end, remember?
-Yes. -[phone ringing]
-I'll go. -Uh…
Did he ask you to be honest with him too?
-Yes, honest and objective. -Hm.
[chuckles, snorts]
-I'm sorry. -What on earth is so funny?
Nothing. I just can't wait
to hear you tell him how much you liked his little novel.
I'm gonna do no such thing.
If I have to tell him the truth, then so do you, Julián.
Besides, I'm sure he's thinking I won't be finished reading it
until the end of the summer.
You see, it'll be much harder for me to read than any other living being.
And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to sniff some shampoo
so I can cheer myself up.
-Víctor. -Carol!
-Come in. How are you? -I'm here once again.
Go on in.
-Ah… -[Natalia chuckles]
I get the feeling I've been to this apartment more times in the last few days
than in the entire time they've lived here.
They've, uh, been living here for a while, right?
Yes, Víctor, since they've been together.
-Ah, yeah, huh? -Yes.
Yes? Huh.
Carol, is… uh, Julián not back at home yet?
-Yeah, he is, he's taking a shower. -Hmm.
He had his shoot today. The commercial.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah the commercial, yes. He told me he was playing… what was it?
It… it was a tomato.
Carol, isn't it about time he gave that up?
So you didn't achieve your dream? Pull yourself together and move on.
I can probably find him a job at the firm.
A driver. They're always in demand.
You… you should tell him that, hmm?
Of course I will. Not now, but… some other day.
Yes, better to do it later.
Well, well, well, we're finally all together.
You must be very happy, little sister?
-What are you insinuating? -Nothing, I'm not insinuating anything.
No, you said "ha-ppy."
I'm not an idiot, Víctor.
Are you upset? Because you never get upset, Natalia.
Well, I certainly do now, so get used to it.
[Víctor] You could've told me sooner.
No one's allowed to argue until you're all here.
No, no, no, we're not arguing, Carol, not yet.
We're just catching up on news, right?
You… you said "ha-ppy." You really extended the A.
-I didn't realize I was doing that. -Yeah, well you did.
And what bothers me is your tone, hmm, what you're implying?
Carol, did it seem like I was implying anything before?
Oh, Julián made me promise I wouldn't give my opinion today.
In-laws aren't really allowed to.
As if you're doing me a favor by being here.
I mean, Dad's well-being should be your concern as well.
Look, that wasn't my intention. Will you relax?
I am very relaxed.
Don't I look relaxed? Because I'm very relaxed.
What I am is tired, Víctor. I'm tired of the way you treat me.
This superior attitude you have towards me,
especially since I'm the only one who seems to worry about things around here.
Well, then, maybe you shouldn't worry so much, Natalia.
What do you mean by that?
Listen, when you take things too seriously,
then they stop being funny.
Oh my, what an interesting theory. Where'd you find that?
Was it from the Writing for Beginners Handbook I recommended you read?
I'm sorry.
Wouldn't it be better to wait for Julián before you start fighting?
-Yes, yes, of course. -Yes.
-We'll stop, Carol. Sorry. -Oh!
Uh, Carol, I brought a little treat.
A jar of anchovies, fresh from the market.
Oh great, thank you. You shouldn't have.
May I please have some water?
I need to take one of my pills for my migraines.
-Yes, of course. I'll get you a glass. -Thanks.
Mom used to say that migraines were like drawers that won't close.
"Drawers that won't close?"
Hmm. I wonder what that means.
It's a metaphor, Víctor.
You're a writer. You should know that.
[mischievous piano music playing]
-You know, now that you mention that… -Mention what?
Have you finished my novel?
-Carol! -[Carol] Yes?
-Do you need help preparing anything? -[Carol] No, no, I've got it.
-[Natalia] Uh, uh… you sure? -[Carol] Mm-hmm.
-[Víctor] Natalia? -That's me.
-[Víctor chuckles] What happened? -When?
Just now. Were you trying to change the subject?
Oh, you noticed?
-Uh, yeah, you made it pretty clear. -Mm.
Hey, if you didn't like my book, you can tell me, it's okay.
I know it would be okay. Why wouldn't it be?
I want you to tell the truth, give me your sincere--
Yeah, yeah, but wouldn't it be better if we talked about this another day?
-[Víctor] Yeah. -Here you go.
Thanks.
[Natalia] I mean…
we have a lot of important and delicate things to talk about today.
-Right, Carol? -Yeah.
Pff!
Give me just one comment, go on.
Your first impression after you read it.
Uh, well, you know, first impressions can be misconstrued.
Misconstrued?
Yes, um… they don't always seem to align with what you're really thinking.
Well, give me four words, then, just like that.
-A headline, if you will. -A headline for what?
[chuckles] Uh… I wanted her impression of my novel.
-She's already read it. -[Julián] Oh yeah?
-[Víctor] Yes. -You've read the entire thing, Natalia?
-[chuckles] -But you never mentioned anything.
-What did you think? -Mm… Um…
-Uh… -Isn't this great, mm?
The three of you here.
We're so happy that you could come tonight.
-No, that's not true. Don't listen to her. -[laughs]
Have a seat at the table whenever you want.
I'll be in the bedroom watching a series I'm into,
so you can argue in peace.
-Okay, thanks, honey. -Thanks, Carol. Hmm.
Natalia?
-[playful piano music playing] -Huh?
[Víctor] We're waiting.
[chuckles] Uh… [mumbles]
How many days did it take you to read it? More than a week?
-Why do you ask? Is it important? -It's super important.
Yeah, when you do it in one go, it's so much better.
-You didn't know that? -Uh… No. No.
Look, I don't know. It took a couple of weeks, I think.
Ouch.
"Ouch," what?
I read it when I had the time, at night.
-And? -[Julián] And?
Well, the truth is I was very surprised by it.
She was surprised by it.
-Yes, I… I… I didn't expect it. -She didn't expect it.
-But, is that good, or is that bad? -Um, uh, depends.
What does it depend on?
On many things.
The truth is I never imagined you could write something like that.
This novel is not easy, uh…
I don't understand what you're trying to say, Natalia.
Well, that's what reviews are like, Víctor.
I just wanna know if she likes it, that's all.
He just wants to know if you like it.
The truth is, uh… Víctor,
that I don't… know how tell you this.
It's not easy for me to say.
Being told the truth is what you want.
The truth is that, well, I… I… I…
I thought you did a great job!
[music stops]
Oh…
What did she say?
She thought I did a great job.
[both laugh]
A great job, Natalia?
[Natalia] Yes, I liked it a lot.
Are you sure?
[Natalia] For a first-time novelist, it's very good.
"For a first-time novelist, it's very good."
That can be interpreted in many different ways.
Oof! I was feeling… disconcerted.
To be honest with you,
I was nervous to hear what your thoughts were about it, sis.
A lot. Or more than a lot? Could you elaborate?
Can we sit down and start the meeting?
Hmm?
[Víctor] Hmm.
So it wasn't a boring read, then?
-[Natalia] Not at all, no. -[Víctor] Hm.
Absolutely not. Congratulations.
-Congratulations? -She congratulated me.
[Julián] Mm!
Thank you so much, Natalia.
Our sister's opinion is really important to me.
Of course. Hers is.
[Víctor] Yes, because it's aimed at that type of audience, hmm?
-Mm. -'Scuse me.
Of course.
[cell phone ringing]
-Marisa. -[Natalia] Ah.
[Víctor] Sweetheart, hello.
Well, well, well, well, well.
So, you really liked his little novel a lot, huh?
[Víctor] No, no, don't worry…
We're here to talk about Dad, to agree on what to do.
Oh, I see what you're doing now. This is all a part of your strategy.
-Of course it is. -Hmm.
What do I gain by telling him his novel's a piece of crap?
It would offend him and piss him off before we've even begun.
-You didn't like his novel? -Not at all.
[Víctor] No, and…
Now it's your turn. Tell him how much you liked it.
He'll be so happy that we'll have Dad living in his mansion by next week.
-Hmm. -With the pool and the wine cellar.
Showing his penis to all the servants.
He gave me his little novel because he was excited to sign it for me.
My opinion doesn't matter to him one bit.
No, Víctor values you more than you think.
Natalia, I may be a tomato, but I'm not an idiot.
-What are you looking for, honey? -My tablet.
-I don't know where it is. -Oh.
Uh, your cat attacked a plant in the living room.
[Fanny meows]
-Oh, I'll go. -[Julián] Mm.
Sorry for the interruption.
Uh, what were we talking about?
-The novel you wrote. -[Víctor] Ah, yes.
Julián was just telling me that he read it too.
-Yeah? That was fast. -[Natalia] So? Did you like it?
Come on, tell us what you thought.
He is incapable of lying, even if he tried.
Incapable, hmm.
But we should leave this for maybe another day, don't you think?
Julián, your opinion matters to me too.
-See. What did I say? -[Julián] Oh yeah?
So, is it as important as Natalia's?
No. They're different. There's no comparison.
In what way are they different?
Okay, okay. Look, Julián, it's not that important.
What Víctor wants to know is if you liked it,
if you felt a connection to the characters,
what you thought about the metaphors.
What metaphors?
[Natalia] How about the title?
-What did you think? -Did you like it?
53… 53 Sundays.
-It surprised me. -In a good way or a bad way?
Depends.
-You know what, Julián? -Yes?
I'd prefer you tell me later.
It'd be better if you read it again before you tell me what you think, hmm?
Are you saying that in case I didn't understand it?
Well, a second read is sometimes advisable.
Especially for those who work in gazpacho, huh?
[Víctor chuckles]
It's just that you need to take your time.
You're not used to reading, and it's not an easy novel, hmm?
There's no rush. Just reread it whenever.
-A third time? -[Víctor] What?
Yeah, he's read it twice.
You read it twice already, Julián?
-[Carol] In a row. -Is that right?
Wow, Julián, I'm honestly speechless.
I didn't expect that. I'm getting emotional.
All right, if he's read it twice,
then he can tell you exactly what he thinks.
But of course. Go ahead. Do it, yeah.
-So? -[Julián] Hmm?
Do it like a headline.
You want it like a headline.
Just for the record,
I'm also having a hard time telling you this, okay?
But I found it
longish and a bit boring.
Too many characters, too many plots,
and the ending was rushed and made no sense.
I'm telling you this because I promised to be honest and objective.
Otherwise, I would've lied to you, just like everyone else does.
-[tuts] -But, since you insisted I tell you…
[whimsical piano music playing]
Very good.
[groans]
[Natalia] It was supposed to be a headline. Víctor?
-Are you okay? -Yes, yes.
It's just that it's the first bad review I've received, and I'm a little "whoa…"
The thing is
asking people to tell you the truth, Víctor, can really backfire.
You should know that.
I didn't think you would take it so seriously.
You're not upset that I was being so honest, are you?
-[scoffs] -So what?
[Julián] Look, let's not get upset over some hobby.
No, no, it's not a hobby, Julián.
Listen, that's exactly what I told Natalia.
We shouldn't call it that word.
Suppose I should get used to all kinds of criticism,
even though it may not be objective.
What do you mean, it may not be objective?
It doesn't mean anything.
Can we please sit down now and start this meeting already?
You're my little brother. You can't be objective. It's normal.
Wait a sec, what on earth does liking your little novel
have to do with us being brothers?
-"Little novel?" -It's just a figure of speech.
[Víctor chuckles]
The term is disrespectful.
-Uh-- -You used it the other day.
But I let it go. I pretended I hadn't heard it.
What the three of us have to agree on, before anything,
is the issue with Dad's light bulb.
I'm sure Víctor can change the light bulb.
Now that he's finished writing, he'll have plenty of free time.
-[Natalia] Are you even listening to me? -I can see why you can't be objective.
It's probably because you're still envious of me.
-Oh yeah? Since when have I been envious? -Your whole life, you've been like that.
It's quite a common syndrome in younger siblings.
But what am I envious of exactly?
Of me!
That things have gone really well for me but not so good for you.
-Mm? -What things?
You're your father-in-law's driver and your wife's butler.
Wow.
What just came out of your mouth has pissed me off, little brother, okay?
Maybe it would be best if I just left.
-No. -I'll see you another day.
No, no, no.
Uh…
Víctor.
Víctor! Come on.
I'm begging both of you, please, try and make an effort.
It was so hard to get the three of us together tonight.
We have important decisions to make. Please!
But first he's got to apologize.
Apologize? For what?
Well, among other things, for the way you disparagingly insinuated,
and I quote, that maybe I could "change the light bulb"
now that I've finished writing "my little novel."
Yes. I think I stretched the "I" in "little," though.
[chuckles] It's a habit we all do, Víctor, you know that.
The bad review was enough, don't you think?
He didn't have to make fun of me.
It's called survivor's humor, Víctor.
You used to like it a lot.
Used to, yes, mm.
Oh, by the way, I almost forgot,
you should probably know that we discussed who would change that light bulb,
and that you'd do it.
Who decided this?
Me and Natalia.
[Natalia] Víctor!
Well, well, well. You didn't tell me anything, Natalia,
and we've been spending so much time together.
So you've already discussed it, have you?
-Uh… I think once or twice, yes. -[Julián] Ah.
-Once or twice? No, Natalia. Many times. -[Julián] Many times?
And… and… and why am I the one who's supposed to change Dad's light bulb,
if I may ask?
Because we pay for stuff, and you don't.
[music fades out]
Okay, I'm… I'm… I'm lost now.
-What do you pay for? -[Natalia] Things.
Wait, I'll tell him, Natalia, then he'll understand perfectly.
You'll see, he won't.
Look, I'm gonna really try, but I can't promise anything.
We both think that it's your job to change Dad's light bulb,
since we are the ones who take care of all of Dad's expenses.
-What expenses? -Um…
-We don't have to go into details, do we? -Yes, yes, yes.
We have to, Natalia. Details are very important, hmm?
What expenses?
Well, his medical expenses.
Hearing aids, his special diet, new dentures,
physiotherapy, the cleaning lady, the washing machine.
Those things, Julián, all of that.
-They're everyday things, you know? -Everyday things for the last few years.
-[Natalia chuckles] -Did he say years?
He's exaggerating.
Natalia?
How many years?
Uh… I… I don't know.
Four, maybe five.
-Four or five years? -[Natalia] Mm.
What happened, Julián, is that Natalia didn't want to tell you anything
because we didn't want you to feel like a poor son of a bitch.
That's why.
Of course, no wonder you didn't wanna say anything.
Well, look, we both know that you're always short of money,
and we just thought that--
Hold on, hold on, let me see if I've got this straight.
Because I'm a poor son of a bitch
and I can't contribute to my dear father's expenses,
you two came up with the idea that I could compensate
by being the janitor of the family.
Is that it?
-Yes. -[Natalia] Víctor!
-That's what you said, Natalia. -Yeah, but put like that, it sounds bad.
It does sounds bad, Natalia.
Oh, here it is.
-Haven't you three sat down yet? -We're just about to, honey.
Julián.
By the way, the other day, when you told me that Natalia had called
to talk about a very important issue concerning a light bulb,
what did I say?
That a light bulb could never be that important an issue.
-Well, it was. -See? I guess you never know.
One never knows, honey.
-[Víctor] Julián? -Yeah?
We argue for the sake of arguing.
-Yes, we certainly do. -No, no, hold on a sec.
Didn't you and I agree the other day that Natalia should be the one to change it?
-Me? -Yes, that's right, you.
Why me, though?
Because, the other day, when we were discussing the whole light-bulb issue,
we realized it wouldn't be fair
if your name was not on the list of candidates, Natalia.
We are a modern, left-wing, feminist family.
We realized that maybe in some, uh… subconscious way,
we had eliminated you from the equation.
-What equation? -The little-blinkies one.
When it came to home improvement and handiwork,
you thought had nothing to do with you, the men would take care of it.
-Heck no. -Well, I'm not changing it.
What did she say?
And why won't you change the light bulb, pray tell?
My psychologist would be angry with me, and rightfully so.
Your psychologist doesn't want you to change Dad's light bulb?
We've been talking about it, and he told me not to do it.
You talk to your psychologist about flickering lights?
It's all part of the therapy, and I can't change it.
Then why doesn't your psychologist change it? The light bulb.
Or you could change psychologists?
You should both know I'm seeing this through to the end.
For the first time in my life, I've found someone who understands me perfectly.
He's helping me so much.
Helping you with what exactly?
To stop being the woman I thought I was
and discover the woman I actually am.
-Ah… -Ah…
-Okay. -Okay.
Listen to me. I'm serious.
Please, for once in your goddamn lives, take me into account.
I'm not just your sister, all right. I'm also a person!
No need to get upset. Now our sister gets upset.
Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah…
The first thing I have to do is stand up to both of you and tell you what I think,
no matter what it takes.
But you always say what you think, don't you? Huh?
I wouldn't be so sure about that one.
Then I have to confront my cheating husband
and kick him out of the house for all the misery he's caused me.
Then, lastly… become a lesbian.
But what the heck does that have to do with us, Natalia?
-So much. -[tense piano music playing]
I have been the maid of the house ever since we lost Mom.
I ask you to meet so we can talk about Dad
because I don't think he can live alone anymore,
and you treat me like I'm some kind of hysterical drama queen.
Who do you think organizes all of his socks and underwear?
Who buys him his food and medication?
Who goes and cuts his toenails?
Who changes the battery in his alarm clock,
his hearing aid, and his three cordless telephones?
And who has to apologize to the neighbor every time Dad shows his genitals?
Now, after all that,
you want me to be the one to go over to his house
and fix the flickering light
because neither one of you can spare one lousy hour of your life
to go visit him, see if he's still breathing,
and change that fucking goddamn bulb?!
[music stops]
Oh.
I'm going to the bathroom.
-[Natalia] Hmm. -[Carol] Mm.
Huh.
[phone ringing]
Uh, got it!
-Must be pricey, this doctor. -Mm, yeah.
Hmm.
Did she say she actually cuts our dad's toenails?
-Ugh. -[Fanny meows]
So I guess that revolution theory of ours goes out the window?
Doesn't look good.
I'm afraid light bulbs will still be our responsibility.
Do you want to flip a coin?
Or we can call an electrician.
You guys'll pay for it.
Uh, we pay because we care about Dad, Julián.
Um, you know, I could take that the wrong way.
Take it however you want.
Is that the same cat?
You've asked that question before.
[chuckles] Well, maybe it's because you never invite us to the apartment.
I must've forgotten about it.
Look, we never invite you because the one time you did come,
your wife wouldn't sit on the couch because it was second hand
and it made her feel uncomfortable.
Poor Marisa.
[toilet flushes]
I feel better. Can we start the meeting?
Marisa happens to be very sensitive, and she has a lot of allergies.
Allergic to poor people being one of them.
Are you criticizing my wife now?
Because that will really make me angry, Julián, and I'll have to leave.
Oh, well, if you do,
please take the ugly vase you gave us.
We had it hidden in the closet, but, since my wife is such a good person,
she took it out thinking it would make you happy.
Ten minutes. If we set our minds to it, we can do it.
Let's talk for ten minutes about what to do with Dad.
After that, we don't have to see each other ever again.
Not even at Christmas?
Well, this Christmas, we're going on a safari.
Or until Dad's funeral.
Ten minutes, hmm?
Víctor?
If that's what it takes. Hm.
[Carol] Okay, don't worry, I'll tell them right now.
-Excuse me. -[Julián] Yeah, honey?
-The neighbor just called. -Which neighbor?
Your father's neighbor.
That's weird. She usually calls me.
Yes, she told me she's been trying to call you, but you weren't picking up.
My cell-phone battery must have died. What did she want?
Well, she said she's been hearing your father's phone ringing since this morning.
I'm sure that was me. I've been trying to call him all day,
but since he doesn't know how his hearing aid works, he can't hear.
-[Julián] Hm. -Yeah.
In any case, she went to knock on the door because she heard music playing.
But, when he didn't come to the door, she decided to go inside to see if he, uh…
And where was my dad?
He was lying on the floor.
Why was our father lying on the floor?
He was unconscious.
And his head was bleeding.
-You see?! -What?
He can't keep living alone. I told you so!
Hey, are you suggesting this is our fault?
Which hospital did they take him to?
-He didn't go to one. -What do you mean he didn't?
If he's got a concussion, he's gotta go to the hospital.
Yeah, but they didn't need to, because, when the ambulance arrived
and they saw your father, they realized that, for the past few hours, he…
had been dead.
Who?
Our father is dead?
Dad is dead?
From a blow to the head.
How did he get a blow to the head, Carol?
He got it when he fell to the ground.
When he fell?
[elegant piano music playing]
My father-in-law really loved music.
He especially loved classical.
He would listen to it all the time.
The house was constantly filled with it.
Hello!
[Carol] Many years have gone by now,
but, when they hear it again, memories will come flooding back to them,
bringing back images of their childhood.
Memories of long-forgotten times when they all lived under the same roof
and their father woke them up on weekends with the music blaring.
They'll remember those Sunday mornings with the never-ending breakfasts.
Their fights, their games.
And they'll be moved.
They will let the music flow through them
just like the same blood runs through their veins,
knowing they are inextricably linked to one another,
that, despite their arguments,
they share a deep bond,
a familiar instinct,
that has to do with the mystery of life.
-One that helps us feel less alone. -♪ Happy birthday to you… ♪
[Carol] Tonight, they will do something they haven't done in a long time
and maybe never will again.
They will hold each other.
And, if only for a few seconds,
they will share this unforgettable and unrepeatable moment
together.
-[device bleeping] -[music becomes jazzy]
[man] Bring it in.
[music fades out]
-Are you okay? -Yeah. Yeah.
Carol, where did our dad fall down from?
Leave it, Natalia. Leave it.
We all get it, Natalia.
Well, he fell off the ladder.
What was he doing up a ladder?
Changing the light bulb in the bathroom.
-Apparently it was flicker-- -Sh! Mm-mm.
[upbeat jazz version of Mozart's "Turkish March" playing]