An out-of-work advertising executive becomes the star attraction of the media circus while attempting to turn a freak accident into financial security for his adoring wife and beloved children in this darkly comic social satire from Spanish filmmaker Álex de la Iglesia. It wasn't too long ago that ambitious adman Roberto José Mota was on the path to a promising career. But now the economy has tanked and jobs are hard to come by. Fortunately for Roberto, his wife Luisa Salma Hayek loves him unconditionally. When the latest in a depressing series of unsuccessful job interviews leaves Roberto's future looking particularly grim, he realizes he can no longer keep his family's dire finances a secret and suffers a momentary bout of insanity that leaves him hanging between life and death. Determined to do something nice for his wife on their anniversary, he goes to the hotel where they spent their honeymoon and finds that a Roman theatre has been unearthed on the site. It's currently being transformed into a museum, but before the mayor and museum director have a chance to bring in the press, Roberto sneaks into the location and suffers a terrible fall while fleeing from security guards. As a result, his skull is pierced by an iron rod that bisects his brain. Since it hasn't caused any actual damage, Roberto is awake, alert, and able to communicate with his wife. But when the doctor called in to assess the situation reveals that the rod is pressing on a sinus canal that drains the blood from the brain to the jugular, they realize that any attempt to move him could kill him. Concerned for his children's future, Roberto seizes an opportunity to turn his own personal tragedy into a monetary windfall for them, and hires an agent. Before long, all spotlights are shining on Roberto. His plan seems to be working, but what he doesn't understand is that his wife would rather have a husband and father in the house than money in the bank.