A thief known as Simon the Swiss faces up and downs in his criminal profession.

Alexandre Boursault, a provincial notary, would have been the happiest man alive if his wife did not openly display her political views and participate in all kinds of demonstrations.

The successful novelist Judith Ralitzer is interrogated in the police station about the disappearance of her ghost-writer. A serial-killer escapes from a prison in Paris. A missing school teacher leaves his wife and children. In the road, the annoying and stressed hairdresser Hughette is left in a gas station by her fiancé Paul while driving to the poor farm of her family in the country. A mysterious man offers a ride to her and she invites him to assume the identity of Paul during 24 hours to not disappoint her mother. Who might be the unknown man and what is real and what is fiction?

Robert Colomb (Yves Montand), a famous TV newscaster, is married to Catherine (Annie Girardot), but is continually unfaithful. He is about to replace his current mistress, Mireille (Irene Tunc), with Jacqueline (Anouk Ferjak)when he meets, and becomes fascinated with Candice (Candice Bergen.) He takes her along on an assignment in Kenya and later establishes an "arrangement" with her in Amsterdam. When he tells Catherine about the affair, she is silent. He is assigned to Viet Nam, tells Candice their affair is over and, to his astonishment, discovers that is more than acceptable to her as she as tired of him. Returning from a Vietnamese prison he decides to return also to Catherine, but discovers she has made a new life for herself. He ponders whether he should break into her life again, rekindle their old love or just disappear from her life. While he is pondering, Catherine---a big hand for the little lady---makes the decision for this selfish and conceited ass.

A man and a woman meet by accident on a Sunday evening at their childrens' boarding school. Slowly, they reveal themselves to each other, finding that they have something deeply in common.