The Discreet

Antoine, an unsuccessful writer, is taken aback when his girlfriend, Solange, leaves him for another man. Usually, it is he who ends a relationship, not his partner. In a fit of pique, he decides to take his revenge, not against Solange, but against all womankind. Jean, an ageing book dealer, suggests that Antoine should avenge his wounded male pride by seducing a woman selected at random and then, once she is in love with him, coldly dumping her. He should also keep a diary of everything that happens in this adventure, since, Jean assures him, such a chronicle would be well-received by one of his publishing friends. To lure his victim, Antoine places an ad for a secretary to type a manuscript. The woman who responds to the ad is a rather ordinary looking young woman, Catherine, who lives alone in a small apartment. Frustratingly, Catherine apparently has no interest in Antoine and resists his obvious attempts at seduction. Antoine is certain his scheme is going to fail...