When Guillaume Valmont dies in a car accident, the only thing he leaves his wife Isabelle is his pharmacy. She never loved her older husband and she regards his death as a deliverance. At the funeral, she meets Judith, widow too, and she soon realises that her husband had been leading a double life. A short while later, the pharmacy is broken into, but nothing is stolen. Police Inspector Laforêt is put in charge of the case. Isabelle becomes suspicious when Judith offers to buy the pharmacy.

In a building close to the Place de la Contrescarpe in Paris, a tale of criss‑crossings in turn romantic, gourmet, interested or mystical, between an Italian gigolo and a nightclub hostess, a family of butchers and an apprentice rocker, a mystic tailor, a writer sending himself telegrams, an alert paralytic woman, a thoughtful concierge, a bird breeder and a just‑out‑of‑jail hooligan. Little by little each one discovers each other’s more or less troubled history… when a mysterious death introduces the Police within this huis clos, hastens disclosure of well‑kept secrets and ruffle this little World.

Anna, twenty-seven, married to building contractor Eric, refuses to live in his wake. Craving independence, she can exist through the art gallery she runs, but isn’t this occupation a mere wholesome distraction? When she meets Bruno and becomes his lover she thinks she will find fulfillment only to realize that she is just another plaything in a man’s hands.

In Paris in the early 1960s, Ronald is a son of a good family, with a carefree, pleasure-oriented life. He is one of the leading figures in the small world of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Following a trivial parking incident, he meets Arthur, a young man with a straight face who hurts his pride. It is at this moment that Ambroisine, a beautiful young woman, appears... she will be the instrument of Ronald's revenge.

Lucien, a modest engineering student, discovers that his steady girl friend Mireille is using him to cover up her dates with Mario, an older man. Lucien wanders about the streets of Paris and meets Joëlle, a sophisticated teenager who supports herself with a job in a sleazy nightclub. It is late when they meet, and Joëlle invites Lucien into the club and demonstrates her stripping act to her one-man audience. A feeling of rapport develops as they go from place to place seeking entertainment; in the morning the two discover they have fallen in love. Mireille learns of the romance and, on a bet, plots with Philippe and other friends to break up the affair. Neither Lucien nor Joëlle, however, succumbs to the propositions of Mireille and Philippe. Later at a nightclub, Mario gives the appearance of seducing Joëlle. Enraged, Lucien rushes at him and they fight. Lucien is reunited with Joëlle--he has learned of the complexities of love, and she has acquired from him a sense of stability.

Two French paras who had lived through deadly situations in Algeria, meet again in civil life. Frapier is a newspaper reporter, and one day finds his friend Porte - surrounded by the police after a car theft, and an accidental killing of a police officer. He helps him escape, and provides shelter with the complicity of his girlfriend Vera. Later, Frapier will have doubts about Vera's love, and lives a passionate night with beautiful Arabelle. However, he finds himself playing a game of life and death both with Vera, and Porte. It will end in sadness for one, and death for another.

The lucky Baron wins a boat in a card game and takes off with his former lover to find new adventures. Adverse circumstances land them in a small town, where the Baron's seafaring companion leaves for more attractive scenery offered by a wealthy local man. Meanwhile, there is a certain charming cafe owner that the Baron finds irresistible -- at least for awhile.

On crowded Milan streets, two men execute a split-second payroll heist-in broad daylight-then begin a lightning-paced getaway, via every conveyance available. But after all, when a tough guy's returning to France (where he's been sentenced to death in absentia) after holing up in Italy for nearly a decade, he's got to have some startup money--particularly if he's going back with the wife and kids.

Young provincial Charles arrives in Paris to stay with his cousin Paul while studying law. Paul is a decadent, bohemian pleasure-seeker who shows the meek, diligent Charles the thrills of city life. When Charles falls for Florence, one of Paul's acquaintances, relationships begin to shift.

A brave little couturier from Lyon, Fernand, travels to Paris to present his creation "La ligne Impériale" to a major fashion house. Following a misunderstanding, he is mistaken by a gang of gangsters for "Le Sicilien", a hired killer. A quid pro quo of enormous proportions. Fernand has the whole gang arrested and is reunited with his sweet fiancée Josée.

In 1866, a young Muscovite named Alexei Ivanovitch arrives in Baden Baden, then the gambling capital of Austria, and is soon engaged by General Zagorianski to look after his children. Alexei discovers that his employer is a compulsive gambler who has been almost ruined by his addiction. The only money the General has is provided by the Marquis de Grieux, an adventurer who intends to marry Zagorianski’s sister, Pauline. In doing so, de Grieux hopes to profit from the vast inheritance that will come the General’s way from his Aunt Antonina, who is presently very ill. Alexei is appalled by this society which lives only for money. He loves Pauline and wants to take her to a healthier place, but when she refuses to marry him, he begins to gamble at the casino…

Sophie Dirondel, history teacher at the Saint-Cloison-sur-Ermoise, wins the jackpot of a lottery, a 2CV. The good-natured woman is both happy and slightly upset, as she doe not have her driving-license. But she decides to take driving lessons and although she does not prove very gifted she manages to pass the test. She grasps the opportunity to achieve one of her sweetest dreams and, proudly sitting behind her wheel, heads for the City of Light. Alone in Paris, she gets to know Victor Martini, a smooth operator. The man who, in real fact, is the leader of a gang, has no problem bamboozling the naive woman.

Haute Couture model in Paris becomes involved in the activities of two rival jewel thief gangs.

Two children run away from a Swiss boarding school and set out for Paris, with their frantic parents in hot pursuit.

The blueprints of an aeroplane built from an ultra-secret metal are stolen from national security. French secret service agent Walder believes that the documents are now in Switzerland, in the hands of a man named Lindbaum. The latter agrees to hand over the blueprints in return for a large sum of money. Another agent, Francis Coplan, is sent to Switzerland to handle the deal, but Lindbaum only has half of the documents because he was double-crossed by Kalpannen, an international crook. With the help of Heidi, a Swiss correspondent, Coplan sets out to identify the members of Kalpannen’s gang, only to find that they have all been murdered…