Colin enjoys a life of abundant comfort: he is wealthy, savoring the meals prepared by his cook, Nicolas, and he cherishes his pianocktail—a whimsical portmanteau of piano and cocktail, a word born from Boris Vian—while valuing the steady companionship of his friend Chick. The world around him feels bright and almost magical, where small pleasures glow and everything seems easily within reach.
During a relaxed lunch with Chick, the friend reveals he has met a woman named Alise who shares a peculiar, almost obsessive passion for a writer named Jean-Sol Partre—a cheeky spoonerism of Jean-Paul Sartre, a nod to Boris Vian’s circle. Soon after, Colin meets Chloe at a party Chick has invited him to attend, and something undeniable blooms between them. They fall in love, marry, and begin a life together that promises happiness, even as the first signs of trouble flutter in the background.
Their honeymoon, however, marks the beginning of a troubling drift. Chloe’s health deteriorates as time passes, casting a shadow over their newfound bliss. At the same moment, the bond between Chick and Alise grows strained as Chick’s unwavering devotion to Partre’s writings pulls them in divergent directions. The tension of waning love and conflicting desires clouds both couples, and in a moment of desperation, Colin and Alise find themselves drawn to one another and begin an affair. They both come to regret this lapse shortly after, their remorse a quiet pall over their delicate triangle of relationships.
As the narrative unfolds, the film’s appearance shifts dramatically from a bright, colorful whimsy to a stark, monochrome somberness. The change is most vivid inside Colin’s home, which seems to decay in a supernatural fashion, while his loyal mouse tolerates the strange, collapsing atmosphere until it finally abandons him. The once-pleasant rooms take on a haunted stillness, mirroring Colin’s sinking world.
Driven by love and loyalty, Colin spends his fortune in a frantic effort to find a cure for Chloe. He begins to cut costs, firing his loyal cook and even selling the treasured pianocktail to finance treatments. The relentless decline of Chloe’s condition pushes Colin toward poverty, a stark reversal from the life of ease he once knew. Chick, meanwhile, funnels both his money and Colin’s into Partre’s world, spending on items and endeavors connected to the writer. His fixation leads to professional ruin, and he eventually loses his job after a Partre-related incident; when confronted by law enforcement, Chick resists and is killed.
Alise, too, pursues Partre with dangerous urgency, tracking him down and killing him to vindicate her own obsession. Chloe’s life ends in sorrow, and a funeral is held for her by Colin, Nicolas, and Isis, Colin’s fiancée. Grief overwhelms him, and the weight of loss drives Colin to a final, bleak act: he leaps into a river, disappearing into the darkness.
