Gaston Vacchia

Professor Henri Laborit uses three people's stories to discuss behaviourist theories of survival, combat, rewards and punishment, and anxiety: René is a technical manager at a textile factory and must face the anxiety caused by corporate downsizing; Janine is a self-educated actress/stylist who learns that the wife of her lover is dying and must decide to let them reunite; and Jean is a controversial career-climbing writer/politician at a crossroads in life.

A plumber finally meets the woman of his dreams. But as her uptight family tries to keep him away, he wins the lottery and starts plotting his revenge.

Since the suicide of his wife, Jacques Loursat has gone downhill. Estranged from his daughter, his lawyer's pratice in ruins, he consoles himself with drink. One night he is woken by a gunshot and catches sight of a young man fleeing the house. Isabelle, his daughter, claims to know nothing about it, even when he finds the body of a young man. Isabelle hangs around with a gang of spoiled young people who have no shortage of money, and is in love with Joel, an ambitious boy involved in drug dealing. Antoine, from a more modest background, is in love with her. When the police start investigating Joel's murder, Antoine becomes the ideal suspect.

Raymonde Chandebise suspects her husband Victor-Emmanuel of cheating on her. Her best friend advises her to find out for sure and to use a stratagem. Both of them send him a false letter, written by a beautiful stranger, giving him an appointment at the "Minet Galant"! But they are completely unaware that the hotel's waiter, a simpleton, is a look-alike of poor Victor-Emmanuel!