Belgium, 1980. On the banks of the Meuse river, against the background of a steel-producing city, factories close down one after another and lay off workers. One of those made redundant is Fabrice, who, at thirty-five, is proud of his trade, and now feels he has become useless. His wife, Céline, tries to renew his interest in life, but Fabrice remains trapped in his depression, and then one day he disappears...
At 45, divorced, unemployed and father of two children, Franois Morot realizes that he can no longer support the society in which he lives and decides to leave everything.
Michel, reporter, finally joins his old isolated cottage in the middle of a park, having spent two years away from home. Our protagonist hopes to regain some serenity, but he does not arrive at the best moment: he did not expect the suicide attempt of Catherine, the wife of his brother Arthur
After an argument and fight with a wealthy one night stand in a posh hotel, young hustler Chris finds himself trapped inside. With nowhere to go and the cops closing in on the hotel fast, he wanders into "Suite 16" in a fit of despair. Inside, a handicapped and wheelchair bound Glover is held captive for the evening once discovered by Chris. However, things change the next day when Glover informs Chris that the woman he slept with is now dead; and that he surely will be sought out for her murder. Lonely and bored, Glover offers to shelter Chris for awhile while the cuts and bruises from the previous nights escapades have time to heal.
Prostitute Dolly co-finances the purchase of a Vermeer painting with art expert Eddy Cremer. When they find out the painting is fake, she returns to the red light district, where conditions have worsened over time.