A superifical woman finds conflict choosing between her abusive husband and her vain lover.

Charlotte is young and modern, not a hair out of place, superficial, cool; she reads fashion magazines - does she have the perfect bust? She lives in a Paris suburb with her son and her husband Pierre, a pilot. Her lover is Robert, an actor. Assignations with him, dinner with her husband and a client, consulting a physician: there's tension at home, Pierre had her followed a few months before, their marital play has an edge, Pierre slaps her and apologizes. She quizzes Robert: is he acting when he's with her? Events may force her to choose Robert or Pierre. Close-ups fill the screen; is there more than surface? Her eyes tear up. The horrors of war provide a distant counterpoint.—<[email protected]>

Lying naked with her handsome actor lover Robert, bored Parisian wife Charlotte finds herself torn between her consumer desires and the urgent demands of her family. On the other hand, Pierre, Charlotte's grizzled pilot husband, knows she doesn't love him. However, he can't afford to lose her. But both men desire exclusivity and permanence. And as a series of distinct chapters unfold--intersecting the past with the present, the intellect with compromise, childhood with age--conflicted, Charlotte tries to weigh her options. Does Robert act when she is with him? What is Pierre prepared to do for Charlotte? Sooner or later, the modern bourgeoisie lady will have to pick sides. How far is Charlotte willing to go in the name of love?—Nick Riganas