Clockmaker Michel Descombes (Philippe Noiret) is a mild-mannered man living alone in the city of Lyon, France, after being deserted by his wife. Michel's quiet life goes into upheaval when he discovers his son Bernard (Clotilde Joano) has murdered a local factory foreman. Despite their estranged relationship, the ensuing consequences of his son's actions shatter Michel's concept of his own world and things will never be the same. Based on the novel by Georges Simenon.