A teenager at a boarding school in Geneva, Switzerland writes letters to his divorced parents. After he realizes only his father might be the only one to reply to him, he lies to meet his father's high expectations of his son being a smart, athletic, budget-conscious young man.

An unemployed writer receives a Christmas card from a woman he knew briefly three years ago - the unexpected overture triggers him into sending a torrent of letters filled with confessions of love and declarations of indifference.