Retired music professors Anne (Emmanuelle Riva) and Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant) are enjoying their twilight years together when a stroke paralyses Anne. Georges copes the best he can with help from neighbours and home-care workers, but Anne rapidly loses the ability to function on her own, even to communicate, which upsets their daughter, Eva (Isabelle Huppert). Georges' stoic acceptance elicits praise from onlookers, but there are cracks in his façade and a series of actions blur the lines between madness and compassion.

"An unexpected kind of masterpiece...a fascinating, mesmerising and heartbreaking movie." - Roger Ebert