A Time for Loving

Geoff arranges a reunion with his first love, Patricia, planning to recapture their initial affair at a Montmartre studio in Paris. The setup signals a night of nostalgia and fragile hope as old feelings surface again. Patricia's reaction hints at the distance that time has created between them.

The concierge's son persuades his first love Simone to climb up to the studio bedroom window, convinced the room will be empty for the night. The reckless move unintentionally brings a third party into Geoff and Patricia's plan. The moment foreshadows the comedy and chaos that will follow.

Geoff discovers Patricia has grown bitter over the years and that the warmth of their renewed affair has faded. The two young lovers in the bedroom are disturbed by their arrival, and, in a comical bid to avoid discovery, Geoff and Patricia crawl under the concierge's door to slip away unseen.

On the way to school, the concierge's son notices a young American girl studying at the American Hospital of Paris in Neuilly, who is having an affair with an older doctor. The discovery adds tension as the circle of lovers and secrets widens. The affair must be kept hidden from both the concierge and the disapproving public.

The American affair and the other relationships must be kept secret from the concierge and the general public, forcing rendezvous in shadowy hôtels de passe around Paris. The lovers navigate a web of deception that sustains their clandestine lives. The tension between appearances and desire becomes a running motif.

An escape to the seaside in Normandy marks a turning point as the Second World War begins to engulf Europe. The journey tests loyalties, and the looming conflict raises the stakes for all the couples. The lightness of their secret affairs collides with the grim reality outside Paris.

In occupied Paris, Marcel, managing director of a cement company, arrives at the studio rented for his mistress Josette and bumps into a German Oberleutnant on the landing. The encounter brings a chilling reminder of the occupation's presence. Christmas Eve sets a ceremonial backdrop for the mingling of power, secrecy, and desire.

Old enmities are set aside for Christmas Eve as Marcel contends with bringing presents home to his wife and mother. The studio hosts a spread of oysters offered by Josette for her party, alongside her music teacher and the student Monsieur Grondin. The dinner becomes a symbol of competing loyalties and wartime restraint.

Paris's only transport during the war, velo-taxis, fail to deliver Marcel to all his women in time for their oyster dinners. He must gulp down the oysters in a hurry as he races between commitments to stay on schedule. The frenzied meal underscores the pressures of living under occupation and secrecy.

Despite the chaos, Marcel still makes it to a secret meeting with the French Resistance. The gathering binds the wartime reality to the personal intrigues that began in the studio. The arcs of power, loyalty, and risk converge in the shadows of Paris.

Josette's gathering includes her music teacher and the student Monsieur Grondin, who participate in the Christmas Eve festivities. The party layers art, flirtation, and control under occupation. The oysters, songs, and secrets mingle as the city holds its breath.

After the war ends, the men who navigated these intertwined affairs are reunited in the old studio. The gathering signals a return to shared memory, with the studio serving as a touchstone that binds their wartime experiences. The film closes on a note of endurance and lingering relationships.