the sara morton character be sick and tired of write her stock in trade serial book and and wish for inspiration for something new . she say so to her publisher and who want to keep her write them and and offer her a stay at his french villa for a rest and change of scenery . sara go to the villa . we then see several scene of just how much she enjoy the solitude and the sun and the quiet and the food . she breathe in deeply that fresh air and so different from the london cloudy sky and nameless crowd in the subway etc . that she come from . the sensuality of the landscape and the climate and even the pool and put her in a frame of mind different from the bore and fatigue frame of mind she have in london . ( this be the key to the movie ) . and and so and inspiration to write something a bit different do come represent she start write another book and combine bit and piece of give fact and give character represent the daughter that her publisher mention and appear in her manuscript a julie . all her attribute and behavior come from sara inspiration julie never actually come to the villa . the rest be just how the book develop and since she be an experienced writer of murder mystery and a murder be write in too . she finish the book and get it publish by a new publisher and take it to her old publisher a an i will show you . and and this be where we see that she have never really meet the daughter represent a young girl with brace walk in and not recognize sara . that be the real life daughter . one scene that be quite telling of where reality stop and her inspiration start be that of franck the local waiter and clean leaf from the pool with the net and wear a tiny bathing suit and before he stand over the sunbathing and sleep julie . the camera go slowly over his body and his obvious arousal and in close up not the way he could be see from where sara be stand and look out at the pool . that be before he be show arrive at the villa with julie . well and the waiter be initially show briefly serve sara a drink in the village and and that all he do . he doesn not work at the villa clean the pool that be old marcel job . there be no other explanation about franck suddenly be at the villa clean the pool and other than that how sara weave the local waiter into her book .