60岁的罗伯特·米勒(理查·基尔 Richard Gere 饰)是个事业有成的亿万富翁,备受业界尊重和家人崇拜。然而这都是表象,实际上他不仅私自在公司的账目上动手脚以掩盖投资损失和欺诈嫌疑,还背着妻子在外偷腥。一天夜里,米勒因疲劳驾驶而发生车祸,情妇当场死亡,而他逃离现 场。为了掩盖涉嫌谋杀和保住商业洽谈,米勒开始疯狂地销毁和制造证据,然而随着探员布莱尔(蒂姆·罗斯 Tim Roth 饰)的层层介入,以及自己的女儿似乎也觉察了个中蹊跷,米勒渐渐发现,他在谎言的路上已经越走越远……
Celestine, the chambermaid, has a new job in the country, at the Lanlaires. She has decided to use her beauty to seduce a wealthy man. But Mr Lanlaire is not a right choice: all the house is firmly controlled by Mme Lanlaire, helped by the strange valet Joseph. Then she tries the neighbour, ex-officer Mauger. This seems to work. But soon the son of the Lanlaires comes back. He is young, attractive, and does not share his mother's anti-republicans opinions. So Celestine's beauty attracts Captain Mauger, young Georges Lanlaire, and also Joseph. Three men, from three different social classes, with three different conceptions of life. Will Celestine be able to convince Georges of her sincerity ? Will sinister and inflexible Joseph let his views upon Celestine be ruined ? A quite disillusioned depiction of humanity.