Corruption on the boxing circuit at the turn of the century provides the basis of this French drama. The story centers on a talented young fighter, a logger that Abel Ginoux and his Italian partner Zipolino, a crooked doctor, discover during a fight in a woodland town. The logger, Passe Partout, is in a fight with Ginoux's best fighter and ends up accidentally killing the pugilist. Ever the opportunist, Ginoux lures Partout into the ring to replace the late fighter. Partout proves to be the classic provincial innocent with high, rugged ideals and little knowledge about the modern world. Ginoux takes him to town for the first time and the logger is delighted to discover amenities such as electricity and silent films. He soon falls in love with the beauteous Camille who works in her late father's cafe with her mother. Her father made many of the films, most of which are boxing matches, because he believed that the presence of a camera rendered a fight unfixable.

Jimmy (James Nesbitt) e Rudy (Lennie James) planejam um amador assalto a banco, mas são presos em flagrante e mandados para uma prisão de segurança média. Lá engajam-se na realização de um musical, produzido pelo diretor da instituição, sendo que o espetáculo acaba se transformando no primeiro ato de um elaborado plano de fuga. Mas Jimmy não havia planejado se apaixonar pela coadjuvante do musical, Annabel Sweep (Olivia Williams), a bela conselheira do presídio. Com um pé quase do outro lado do muro da prisão, ele é levado a arquitetar um novo desfecho para quando as cortinas caírem.