Bernard Coudray (Gérard Depardieu) lives with his wife and young son in a remote country house near to Grenoble. One day, a married couple, Philippe and Mathilde Bauchard (Fanny Ardant), move into the house next door. Mathilde and Bernard were lovers, many years before, and both are equally surprised at the unexpected reunion. Initially, Bernard avoids Mathilde, but a chance meeting in a supermarket reawakens a long-buried passion and they are soon having an affair. Unfortunately, neither of them seems capable of controlling the emotional whirlwind which this unleashes.