Based on the 2000 book of the same name by Emmanuel Carrère, it is inspired by the real-life story of Jean-Claude Romand. L'Adversaire's protagonist Jean-Marc Faure (Auteuil) pursues an imaginary career as a doctor of medicine in a plot more closely based on Romand's life and Carrère's book than was Laurent Cantet's 2001 film L'Emploi du Temps. The film was nominated for a Palme d'Or at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival.

This a beautiful May evening. The sun has just set behind the hill. Tonight the inhabitants of the Le Corbusier housing unit are going to experience a slight change of program. They are all sitting in front of their TV sets and in twelve minutes the face of the new President of the Republic will appear on the screens..

A party, musical love stories: head North, on a Northern Soul rhythm.