Beautiful dreamer

October 31, 2006 At a time when actresses complain about a lack of juicy roles for women, Cruz balances a career that includes Hollywood blockbusters and foreign films in which she speaks fluent Italian, French and her native Spanish. In the film, Cruz plays Raimunda, a strong-willed working-class woman juggling a job as an airport janitor with a chaotic home life, which includes an extended family and an inattentive husband whose eventual death changes her life. It's a compelling performance by an actress known for immersing herself in the characters she plays, making her that much more deserving of the AFI Fest's annual tribute, set to take place Nov. 2 at Hollywood's ArcLight Cinemas.

Subscribe to the Hollywood Reporter and see the entertainment industry from its best angle: the inside looking out. Complete access to real-time news and exclusive analysis that goes behind the scenes from film to television, home video to digital media.

   Subscribe now.