When two Mafia bigwigs from Chicago, Tony (John Goodman) and Sal (Felix Williamson), arrive in Australia with intentions of taking over the gambling trade for their bosses back home, they have no idea what they're getting into. Barry Ryan (Bryan Brown) runs the Australian gambling rackets the Chicago hoods covet, and he doesn't intend to share the financial pie. But at the same time Ryan has to keep his crazy wife (Toni Collette) happy and tend to a corrupt cop (Sam Neill).