When François le Clainche, a sixty-year old professor emeritus of neuropsychiatry, is told that his next heart attack is just around the corner and will almost certainly be fatal, he ought to feel depressed. Only natural. what is less natural is that instead of taking things easy and following the advice of his doctor -- who also happens to be his wife -- our professor gets hopelessly hooked on Odile's smile. Odile ? Odile. A ball of fire. Twenty-five years old and a knockout. Tennis teacher and fantasy queen. What does Odile "get off" on ? One. The swings at the local carnival. Two, and this really sends her : the "Roule-Roule", a strip-joint run by Jean-Jean the barker, a big-time operator on the carny circuit. Three, a mysterious ailment. Fully aware that his days are numbered, Professor le clainche, takes off on the backroads of France in pursuit of his madcap adventure...