In the aftermath of a violent car crash, as Pierre lies in a semi-conscious stupor amidst the burning wreckage of his car, his life flashes before his eyes—specifically, his complex entanglement with two very different women: his dutiful, long-suffering wife and his adoring, free-spirited mistress.

Romy Schneider is radiant as an enamoured yet weary lover in this melodrama of a romantic triangle told in fragments. Conveying the sensuality and shortcomings of love, The Things of Life marks the first of her five collaborations with Claude Sautet, and one of her sublime duos with Michel Piccoli.