In 1952, during the height of the McCarthy witchhunts, a young, cocky FBI agent (Matt Dillon) trumps up charges against a Chinese laundry worker and has him imprisoned as a Communist spy. A story of love and intrigue unfolds as the agent later tries to make amends to the man's daughter (Joan Chen)./ A con man (Dillon) travels to Cambodia (also on the run from law enforcement in the U.S.) to collect his share in an insurance scam, but discovers more than he bargained for