On the streets of Paris, a man mysteriously collects a group of people, finally leading them into a small apartment to witness a theatre performance.

[1] Janet Maslin of The New York Times noted that the screenplay "wittily affords the director a great many opportunities for a brand of gamesmanship that enlivens the film without trivializing it.

Mr. Rivette is able to sustain a complex, shifting relationship between the real and the theatrical without losing the film's overriding sense of fun."

Maslin continued her analysis; "The process by which Clement's theatrical work is molded to fit reality, and vice versa, is rendered in a clever, entertaining style that fits perfectly with the behavior of the participants, since Mr. Rivette displays a cool ingenuity that matches that of the performers.

"[2] Colin Greenland reviewed L'amour par terre for Imagine magazine, and stated that "A teasing mystery, with wry, sensitive performances from Geraldine Chapman and Jane Birkin.