Hester Collyer (Rachel Weisz) is married to a much older man. She and her scholarly husband Bill (Simon Russell Beale) seem to have an affectionate connection. But frankly, he is a bit of a repressed mama's boy, and Hester is longing for more fun and passion.
She falls in love with Freddie Page (Tom Hiddleston), a Royal Air Force pilot. When Hester is unable to obtain a divorce, they attempt to live together as husband and wife, but they seem to be leading each other down a self-destructive path.
