Plot Summary

Compelling character study centering on Jack Flowers (Ben Gazzara), an American hustler trying to make his fortune in 1970s Singapore in small-time pimping. He dreams of building a fortune by running a brothel himself and returning to the States to live a life of luxury. Savvy but not unsavory, he strikes up a friendship with William Leigh (Denholm Elliot), a genial, decent auditor who travels to Singapore every year. Ultimately, the background of the Vietnam War comes into the picture as the CIA offers Jack the opportunity to run a brothel for the R&R activities of U.S. soldiers on leave in Singapore.