Lisbon, 1938. Mr. Pereira is the editor of the culture section of an evening paper. Although fascism is on the rise in Europe, like in nearby civil war Spain or even inside Portugal itself in the form of Salazar's regime, Pereira only concerns himself with writing bios and translating French novels. Things change after he hires a young writer as his assistant, getting to know also his girlfriend – both opponents to the regime – and reluctantly helps them when they begin to get in trouble for subversive activities. Eventually, he's forced to take a stand...

25-year-old carouser Carlo is sentenced to one year of community service after crashing his car while drunk and on cocaine. He has to serve his sentence at the Villa Bianca nursing home, along with other non-violent felons. He initially lives it as yet another nuisance, but spending time with Villa Bianca's residents — especially Dino, a cultured and sarcastic 80-year-old who has attempted suicide several times — will make Carlo change his outlook on the world and on life itself.

Rome, 1977. Luciano Baccarini, married to the rich Irene Oro, is murdered at home while preparing a romantic dinner on the terrace for his lover. The investigations immediately focus on the man's private life.

An engineer named Francesco arrives on Emerald Island in the Seychelles and is instantly smitten with the local girl Jeanine, whose sister ran off with the previous engineer -- neither of them to be seen again.

Renzo falls in love with feminist Margherita, too emancipated for him: they start a troubled relationship until he kidnaps her, forcing her to be an housewife devoted to her husband.

Leonardo, an obituary author, lives an isolated and disillusioned life, which is completely turned upside down when he befriends an eccentric group of ghosts. Among them there is also the spirit of Leonardo's father, in a youthful and enthusiastic version that his son does not remember ever experiencing.