In 1980, Jorge Pellegrini (Ricardo Darín), a young and talented Argentine writer, upon returning from a trip to Europe, is forced to write short love stories for "Cosas", a local, light-themed magazine, to aid his dire financial situation. His boss and best friend, Roberto (Eduardo Blanco (actor)), constantly censors Jorge's stories, by deciding which parts to take out or which stories not to print. Jorge's friend and mentor, Mastronardi, often visits the magazine HQ asking Roberto for work, but due to his history of courageous confrontation against National Reorganization Process, he finds himself blacklisting and therefore cannot find work.