L'Art (délicat) de la séduction

Lu, a conformist woman in her forties, learns that her 15-year partner has been having extramarital affairs. Starting from scratch, she gets involved in an unexpected relationship with a young womanizer.

Several interconnected chapters follow a variety of Parisian couples navigating love, desire, and relationships. Isabelle, frustrated by a year of celibacy, rejects her friend Zoé’s offer to "borrow" her husband and instead impersonates their mutual friend Amélie, who cannot bring herself to sleep with her close friend Boris. Meanwhile, the lonely Achille is stunned when his alluring new neighbor appears at his door in a negligee, proposing an affair. Elsewhere, middle-aged Emmanuelle struggles with an overwhelming attraction to every handsome man she encounters, threatening her marriage, while a young couple wrestles with jealousy. Each chapter delves into the unpredictability of love with humor and poignancy.

New Europe presidential candidate Etienne Alexis is a scientist promoting artificial insemination for social betterment and therapy to eliminate passion. To celebrate his engagement to a cousin, he hosts an aseptic picnic, where Mother Nature asserts herself. A shepherd's flute conjures a windstorm throwing Alexis together with the luscious Nénette, a farm lass who, although unimpressed with men, wants to have a baby.

After seeing the initial passion and romance fade into a series of routine and boring relationships, Alexandre (Vincent Perez) concludes that romance ends when sex enters into a relationship. Determined to prevent this from happening with his latest love-interest—a sexy young woman named Fanfan (Sophie Marceau)—he decides that platonic love is the solution. Despite the wonderful, romantic, and inventive ways Alexandre finds for them to spend time together, Fanfan is left disappointed by his refusal to make love to her. Their exciting relationship becomes jeopardized by Alexandre's unwillingness to change his new approach to love.

Pierre is a hotel cashier in Vichy, so shy that he answers an ad from the Psychology Institute and can't say no to the salesman, Aldo; he spends 6,000 francs on tapes, books, and a punching bag. Soon after, he's smitten by Agnes, a hotel guest with a model's looks and photographers wherever she goes. When she leaves for Nice, he follows, meeting Aldo on the way. Aldo becomes his boldness coach. Pierre gets a job washing dishes where Agnes is staying, but after a week or so, she's off to Deauville, with Aldo and Pierre in pursuit. Using funds they get by selling Aldo's car, this time Pierre poses as a polo-playing jet setter. Will this win the heart of Agnes?