"Cezanne et Moi" traces the parallel paths of the lives and careers of post-impressionist painter Paul Cezanne and novelist Emile Zola, from school pals in Aix-en-Provence to working artists in Paris, while exploring their fears and ambitions. Through a slew of flashbacks, we see the two grow up to share a mutual love of art and beautiful women. Zola, who was fatherless and poor, dreams of becoming a writer and eventually joins the very bourgeoisie he mocked in his youth.

Meanwhile Cezanne, who came from a wealthy background, wound up rejecting society to focus entirely on his work, which was only recognized at the very end of his life. "Cezanne et Moi", a polished period piece, boldly paints a picture of two 19th-century masters.