A timid cafe pianist has given up his career as a concert pianist, a career which had destroyed his marriage. Events force his involvement with gangsters who once again cause him to be responsible for the destruction of his life.

Based on: Down there / David Goodis. Originally released as a motion picture in 1960. DVD special features include: présentation par Serge Toubiana; "Cineastes de notre temps: François Truffaut ou l'esprit critique"; Étoiles et toiles: David Goodis"; les bouts d'essai de Marie Dubois; bande-annonce.