Mathilde is an impulsive and passionate painter. Paul, a boyish, lovably neurotic slacker, is highly educated but joyfully refuses to work. Five years down the road, Mathilde is growing tired of Paul’s role as the jobless iconoclast, so he invents a gadget that is sure to win him instant wealth and the respect of his wife. When Paul becomes obsessively absorbed in his work, Mathilde’s eyes wander to a handsome butcher who is enamored of her. Finally on the verge of the success he thought would make her happy, Paul may end up losing Mathilde forever.