Every Man for Himself

Isabelle Rivière is a sex worker who relentlessly pursues financial and personal independence. She moves through a cycle of clients and a controlling pimp, often performing with clinical detachment while plotting her next move. Her arc includes a pragmatic decision to coach her younger sister into prostitution and a developing, if uneasy, bond with Denise.

Denise Rimbaud is Paul's partner and a woman trying to carve out a life outside their relationship. She balances her work at a local paper and television station, her failed interview with Marguerite Duras, and the need to find a new apartment. Her evolving independence leads her to form a bond with Isabelle.

Paul Godard is an estranged filmmaker whose fear of life without Denise drives much of his behavior. He alternates between emotional distance and reckless innuendo, showing alienation and cynicism. His arc culminates in a car accident that marks the film's fatal turn.

Cécile is Paul's daughter, a teenage observer of her parents' fracturing relationship. She attends soccer practice, witnesses her father's awkward behavior, and experiences the bittersweet moments of growing up under the shadow of adult conflicts.

Isabelle's Sister is a younger woman who asks for money and becomes entangled in prostitution. Her arrival tests Isabelle's loyalty and introduces the darker economics of the world they inhabit. Her storyline intersects with Isabelle's evolving independence.

Paul's Ex-Wife embodies a realist, money-driven outlook. She pushes for financial settlements and uses the restaurant encounter to highlight how material concerns permeate family and intimate relationships.

First Client is one of Isabelle's clients, illustrating the power dynamics and the transactional nature of the encounters that drive Isabelle's earnings and the pimp's control.