The story was adapted from the novel of Jean-Marc Roberts Affaires étrangères, which won in 1979 the Prix Renaudot.

Louis Coline (Gérard Lanvin) is an executive assistant in a declining Paris department store.

While he is not ambitious and has little to do, he is content with his wife Nina (Nathalie Baye), visits to his mother and grandmother and nights out with his friends playing poker.

However, the manipulative Bertrand Malair (Michel Piccoli) becomes the store's new manager, and arrives to shake up the company.

Michel Piccoli won the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the 32nd Berlin International Film Festival.