Jack Marcus (Clive Owen, Best Supporting Actor, Closer, 2004) is a former literary luminary who struggles at his new job as a prep school English teacher. When Dina Delsanto (Juliette Binoche, Best Supporting Actress, The English Patient, 1996), an abstract painter and art teacher, arrives on campus, Jackโs passions for both Dina and the written word are invigorated. As a performance review nears, Jack comes up with a competition between his students and Dinaโs โ a battle between Words and Pictures - that he hopes will inspire the children and save his job in the process.