Upset by the death of one of her patients, Marie, a young nurse, decides to go in search of the relatives of the deceased. This is how she meets the gang of thugs of which he was a part.

We pick up the story on our main character's bus ride home. He sits alone, looking content, trying to pass the time. Then, something seems to get in his eye, because he rubs it and then closes the buses window. Something changes about him. He looks around and feels a strange disgust in the bus filled with quiet strangers also trying to get home and minding their own business. Pavel-Ivanovich is so disgusted that he gets off the bus several stops before his home and walks, arriving at dark. From here his story begins, and we go along for his sad ride. From that evening on he sees only sadness and wrong in everything. He can't respond to kindness, and scolds those closest to him. He offends everyone. At his work he tries to go against as many people as possible, and hurt ordinary citizens too. He also feels that everyone is against him. His condition seems to worsen. How will all this end. Sure this can't be the end for Pavel-Ivanovich, a good man somewhere deep inside. 　　The brilliance of this film lies in the main character's deep state of mind. His suffering. The fact that he hurts everyone around him, feels horrible about it but still does it until he almost loses everything. If you like film's where you feel that you can relate or feel the character's emotions, you might like this film. An incredible pressure is built up throughout the film, and the last scene, for me at least, magically lifts it, if only for a couple of seconds. 　　This is a strange film, and I don't say that a lot. It is very hard to describe, but the main elements that drive the feel of this film are the main character's state of mind and the music (more than half of the film has incredible original music playing in the background). Daneliya's films have incredible music like in Autumn Marathon, Kin-Dza-Dza, and Thirty-Three. Daneliyaa was into jazz and played drums in a band way back before he started making film so his films are very rich in music. Also this film is sad, but is also a comedy. All these elements mix to make an incredible movie

Perhaps the most enjoyable Oliveira film I've watched so far also proved to be the most frustrating experience (through no fault of the genial Portuguese director, whom I saw at the 2004 Venice Film Festival): unfortunately, the copy shown on late-night Italian TV was of an atrocious quality – with intermittent picture loss, rampant pixellation and considerable stretches where the dialogue was so low and muffled as to be barely audible (thankfully, the movie was presented in its original language accompanied by Italian subtitles), despite the volume of my TV being practically set at its maximum level! The irony is that this was scheduled again on the very same channel just the other week and, had I known of the poor state of my copy, I'd have tried to record it again…though, of course, I would've had no guarantee that they were able get hold of a superior print unless I went through the whole thing over again! 　　Anyway, having seen it, I'm now able to understand how Oliveira felt so completely at home making that Bunuelian tribute BELLE TOUJOURS (2006); in fact, this has much the same aura of elegant surrealism evident in the Spaniard's contemporaneous masterpiece THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE BOURGEOISIE (1972), while throughout Oliveira displays an admirably Ophulsian propensity for intricately mobile camera-work. The premise is original and quite delightful: a woman has lost a husband and remarried; she used to despise the former but, now, she realizes how much she actually loved him and, consequently, starts to neglect Spouse No. 2. Also, the first husband had an identical twin brother – so the wife feels closer to him than her current husband; the latter, humiliated by this awkward situation, commits suicide! Then, the sibling of the deceased confesses that he's actually the man she married and that it was his twin who had died (he just had the inexplicable urge to exchange identities with him!); so, the ex-bride and groom go to court to make their re-union legal…except that, by this time, it dawns on her that Husband No. 2 is the one she truly loves! 　　Amid all this, their close circle of friends try to make head or tails of the woman's whims and quirks; further complications, however, arise out of the subplot involving a man who makes passes at two of the women (one's married, the other happily cohabiting with her divorced ex!). The latter turns him down flat, while his affair with the former proves no less volatile than the leading lady's roundabout ways; the man, then, deliberately picks a fight with his lover's husband – who had earlier also exchanged harsh words with the heroine's cynical second husband. Though lacking perhaps the cheerful mockery that Bunuel managed to bring to this essentially staid environment (even if the Mendelssohn score still lends it undeniable irony), Oliveira's script is both intelligent and witty – to which his small cast of unknown actors (to me, at least) respond extremely well. These extend to even the minor roles of butler and maid: apart from indulging in their own romantic dalliances from time to time, the butler is visibly annoyed in having to attend to the mansion's gates after every vehicle that calls at the premises (in fact, apart from a brief flashback and the church finale, we're virtually stuck on the grounds of this single location). He also witnesses the second husband's fatal leap from the window as well as the wife's escape from the very same room (in which she's been locked by Spouse No. 1 after her passion for his replacement is re-ignited), while the maid has no qualms about spying on her masters' violent squabbles through a keyhole. 　　The ironic ending sees all concerned attending the wedding ceremony of a young bride and groom – with the central couple entering the church together but then taking separate seats away from one another because of lack of room; the emphasis placed on the newlyweds' promises of lifelong devotion obviously ring hollow at this point while, seemingly on a whim, Oliveira decides to end the film on an amusing shot of the church organist (sporting the somewhat clichéd unkempt appearance of the typical musicologist). It should be said here that PAST AND PRESENT is the first entry in the director's so-called "Tetralogy Of Frustrated Love" along with BENILDE OR THE VIRGIN MOTHER (1975), the five-hour TV serial DOOMED LOVE (1979) – both of which I own and intend to check out presently, as part of my ongoing retrospective honoring Oliveira's 100th birthday next month – and the as-yet unavailable FRANCISCA (1981).

美丽干练的平野瑞穗（仲间由纪惠 饰）曾经是鉴识课的一名女警，她具有高超的绘画素描技巧，任何犯人只要被她看过一眼便过目不忘，能用手中笔逼真地画下对方的模样。但是此前因某起事件，瑞穗被发配到公关课广宣课，日常只能干些端茶倒水、递送文件的杂活儿。因一起纵火案，瑞穗得以和此前有过一面之缘的刑事部搜查一课新来的刑警西岛耕辅（小田切让 饰）接触。此前西岛因暴力问题而被踢出警视厅，被迫屈居县警队伍中。 　　对鉴识课工作依旧存有念想的正义女警察瑞穗，以及自视甚高而冷漠淡定的西岛，这对奇怪的搭档将联手向各种犯罪分子发起挑战……

美丽干练的平野瑞穗（仲间由纪惠 饰）曾经是鉴识课的一名女警，她具有高超的绘画素描技巧，任何犯人只要被她看过一眼便过目不忘，能用手中笔逼真地画下对方的模样。但是此前因某起事件，瑞穗被发配到公关课广宣课，日常只能干些端茶倒水、递送文件的杂活儿。因一起纵火案，瑞穗得以和此前有过一面之缘的刑事部搜查一课新来的刑警西岛耕辅（小田切让 饰）接触。此前西岛因暴力问题而被踢出警视厅，被迫屈居县警队伍中。 　　对鉴识课工作依旧存有念想的正义女警察瑞穗，以及自视甚高而冷漠淡定的西岛，这对奇怪的搭档将联手向各种犯罪分子发起挑战……

荣获日本电影学院奖最佳导演、最佳女主角奖，《电影旬报》年度十大佳片之一，法国南特国际电影节参赛作品。 　　正子样貌平凡，性格极为内向，泰半青春也虚渡在母亲的乾洗店内。一天，母亲死了，她终于忍受不住时髦妹妹的讪笑，索性把她也送去给母亲作伴。为了逃避警方，自己孤身上路，远走他方。隐姓埋名、改头换面的她胆子练大了，开始学习自主，交朋结友。她笨拙的样子和毫不灵活的手脚让我们开心也叫我们担心，可正是她一股傻劲为自己闯出一条生路。独立电影健将阪本顺治擅写个性独特的社会反叛者，影像流丽。

该剧将原作改编至现代背景，讲述犯下杀人罪的蒙面艺人和目击杀人现场的律师之间的悬疑故事。武井饰演席卷音乐界的蒙面艺人井野圣良。她拥有美丽的脸和歌声，却以“不露面”为条件进行艺人活动——那是因为她是“杀人犯”。后藤饰演的是看到圣良从杀人现场离开的唯一目击者石冈弓子。作为一名人权派律师，她以某件事为契机与圣良再会。

东京话剧团白杨座女演员小暮凉子（松雪泰子 饰）意外得到名导演的垂青，得以与当红女星五十岚晶子（稻森泉 饰）共同出演电影。在此之后，凉子的演技得到认可，并有望在下一部戏中担任主角。回想一路来的心路历程，个中辛酸无人能知。九年前，来自九州的凉子为了生计在一间向美国大兵卖笑的大众酒场打工，并由此结识了浪荡男子饭村恭三（坂口宪二 饰），饱受欺凌的凉子最终引发了一场血腥悲剧。而今成名在望的她，担心被当年的目击者——饭村的青梅竹马濑川真奈美（田中丽奈 饰）指认，决心无论如何扫清成名道路上的障碍。在梦想面前，她甘愿抛弃一切…… 　　本片根据松本清张的同名原作改编。

东京话剧团白杨座女演员小暮凉子（松雪泰子 饰）意外得到名导演的垂青，得以与当红女星五十岚晶子（稻森泉 饰）共同出演电影。在此之后，凉子的演技得到认可，并有望在下一部戏中担任主角。回想一路来的心路历程，个中辛酸无人能知。九年前，来自九州的凉子为了生计在一间向美国大兵卖笑的大众酒场打工，并由此结识了浪荡男子饭村恭三（坂口宪二 饰），饱受欺凌的凉子最终引发了一场血腥悲剧。而今成名在望的她，担心被当年的目击者——饭村的青梅竹马濑川真奈美（田中丽奈 饰）指认，决心无论如何扫清成名道路上的障碍。在梦想面前，她甘愿抛弃一切…… 　　本片根据松本清张的同名原作改编。