The Story of Marie and Julien

Julien (Radziwiłowicz) is a middle-aged clockmaker who lives alone with his cat in a large house in the Paris suburbs. Julien is blackmailing 'Madame X' (Brochet) who is importing fake antique Chinese silks,<ref name="NYT" /> and may have murdered her sister.<ref name="filmfest"/> By chance, he meets Marie (Béart), a beautiful young woman he last saw a year ago, and they begin a passionate relationship. Though elusive, Marie agrees to move in with him; she acts strangely at times and appears absent.<ref name="bbc"></ref> A mystery connects Marie to Madame X's dead sister and in uncovering Marie's secret Julien risks losing her.<ref name="film4"/> The film is separated into four parts, named to reflect the narrative perspective.<ref name="screendaily"/><ref name="senses"/>