Paris. A very busy street. Someone throws a crumpled piece of paper into the outstretched hands of a beggar-woman. This is the bond which, for an instant, links the trajectories of several very different characters.

Anne, a young actress, is on the threshold of making it in the cinema. Her boyfriend Georges, is a war photographer. He is rarely in France. His father is a farmer. Georges younger brother, Jean, has no interest in taking over the farm.

Amadou is a music teacher in an institute for deaf-mute children. His father, a taxi driver, is originally from Africa. Amadou's little sister is deaf, she is the inspiration behind his profession.

Maria comes from Romania and sends home the money she gets from begging. Having been deported, she goes back home to spend some time with her family before embarking on another humiliating journey to France.

A single violent moment unites them and makes a splash that sends ripples throughout the rest of the film

"In a complete contrast to his blood-curdling "Funny Games" (1997), Austrian director Michael Haneke's latest film is an episodic, teasing look at a set of very believable people living their everyday lives on or near the edge. There is no neat resolution of any of the plot strands, and, like the characters themselves, we have to put in a fair bit of work to make sense of where they are in their lives, and what connects them to the people around them. Juliette Binoche will be deservedly praised for her unglamorous portrayal of an aspiring actress, but this really is a film which adds up to more than its many and varied parts. Other "daring" art-film directors may get more of the limelight by making noisy, gimmicky films, supposedly pushing at this or that boundary of what is "permissible". This much quieter film says more and has more of an impact than most films you're likely to see in a year."