Upper middle class employee Tom ventures into a derelict squatter building to buy a gun from D, a cocky but stupid, homeless crack-junkie, who meanly tries to extort above the agreed price. As D stole the gun from his macho dealer Ray, the bully is on the warpath to get it back by beating up all his pushers in turn and order them to get it, anyhow. Tom's attempts to reason with Ray or buy off his wrath only get him seriously abused. He and D gradually get to know what makes the other tick and digress for reasonable life.

In London, A.K. is a Ukrainian Gypsy, seeking fame as a rocker, doing odd jobs: he's a dom, drives a hack, and runs errands for his neighbor, a poet full of self pity since going blind. A.K's flatmates are Holly, a ballerina who becomes a reluctant stripper in need of coaching, and Juliette, a pill-popping assistant at a pharmacy run by an Indian tired of his marriage. Juliette, estranged from her family, dreams of helping the poor children of Africa; A.K. has a crush on Holly; Juliette's boss lusts after her. Her hapless sister calls from time to time. The poet despairs. Is there a route from filth to wisdom for these souls? Can they find fun and fulfillment? A.K. provides philosophical comment.