An aspiring poet joins a cynical team of journalists in nineteenth-century Paris. When he agrees to write rave reviews for bribes, achieving material success at the expense of his conscience, and soon discovers that the written word can be an instrument of both beauty and deceit in this sumptuous adaptation of Honore de Balzac's epic novel, Lost Illusions.

Gregoire, a Parisian film producer, has it all, a beautiful wife, three adorable daughters, wealth and a buzzing career. On the surface he seems invincible, maintaining humor and charm as he tirelessly juggles the demands of his production company with his family's needs. But when Gregoire's reserves, both financial and emotional, reach a dramatic breaking point, his family's love and resilience is tested and their world is forever changed.