The life of Vincent de Paul, the 17th-century author and priest who founded two religious orders.

Normandy, France, 1976. After 2 years of wild love with Nadia, Pouplard, an unemployed heating engineer working in his girlfriend's butcher shop, decides to marry her and leave his wife and daughter. He'll have to struggle against his own jealousy and Nadia's incredible sex appeal to get through this 'moment de vie'.

In order to please Martineau, a wealthy industrialist, cynical Gabory accepts to organize a rigged beauty contest whose winner will be Françoise, Martineau's young mistress. However, there are other comely contestants among whom Christiane, the daughter of a general, Jackie, an unemployed actress, Colette, the daughter of a distiller and Marie, a secretary engaged to serious-minded construction foreman Robert. So, will things turn out exactly the way Martineau and Gabory want them...?

Francois is engaged to Isabelle. While going to buy the engagement ring, he meets Sophie, who puts the ring on her finger and does not manage to remove it. Francois follows in the footsteps of Sophie, who is married to an important merchant, in order to recover his property.

Madame Bertini, a newly widowed 70-year-old miser, has lived a sheltered life in squalour. She determines to venture into the modern world and have as much fun as possible, and in doing so finds that she loves it. She blows her life savings, much to the disapproval of the young people around her.

A German prisoner of wars stays in France after the armistice with the woman he loves.

Four vice-presidents fight among themselves to reach the top post after the president dies. Their wives take part in the various schemes to downgrade the opposition by unorthodox means.

Christiane, a gullible young girl who wants to become a dancer, is lured by Daniel, a handsome, elegant talker. He takes her to Tangiers and forces her to work in a shady cabaret. Christiane is in for a rude awakening.

In this movie based upon Julian Green's novel, we follow Paul's downfall as he is torn between his love for Angele, a local prostitute, as he finds out too late, and Madame Grosgeorge's love for him.

Emile Magis, a modest employee, more or less ostracized by the others, would like only one thing, to be happy. Little by little he realizes that life in society is a matter of convention, lies and deception. When he has understood that cynicism rules the world, he decides to play by its untold rules and to take his revenge.