A working class man is released from prison, and soon rescues his best friend from mutilation at the hands of mobsters.

After serving an eight-month prison sentence for breaking and entering, working class Dublin lad Git Hynes, meets ex-girlfriend Sabrina Bradley, who now prefers his best friend Anto.

On meeting Anto in a bar, Git finds that the latter's gambling addiction has left him in debt to the bookies, who are about to take his fingers as collateral.

Git saves his friend, but permanently disfigures the ringleader, the nephew of widely feared mob boss, Tom French.

He is ordered to find French's associate Frank Grogan in Cork, and bring him back to Dublin.

Holding Anto as a hostage, French pairs the reluctant Git with half-wit and heavy-handed mobster, Bunny Kelly.

Following a tip, they drive to The Black & Amber Inn, a pub that Grogan frequents.

After phoning French's associates, Bunny and Git are informed that the "Friendly Face" will be at the bogs the following day, to receive Grogan.

After stuffing him into the boot of his own car, Git and Bunny drag Grogan back to the Mercedes, and interrogate him.

Grogan reveals that he and French were partners, along with a legendary and long missing 1970s Dublin mob boss named Sonny Mulligan.

As they smoke during pillow-talk, Git reveals that his prison sentence was because he took the fall for the theft of a television by his elderly and drunken father.

Git expresses grief that his father died right after he started his prison term and that going to gaol ruined his relationship with Sabrina.

Before leaving, Grogan made three phone calls; one to a Cork number, one to a taxi company, and one to a nearby hotel.

Leaving Grogan with Bunny, Git and French head into the woods to dig up a package with one of the plates.

During the 1970s, Mulligan had "borrowed" the plates from an American criminal gang, on condition that he did not print more than $50,000, which was to be his retirement money.

Burying him, Grogan and French only narrowly avoided being killed by Mulligan's relatives and by the American gangsters.

Seething, French picks up the pistol buried with Mulligan, shoots Grogan dead, and snaps, "That was for Sonny."

Bunny and Git bury Grogan and French alongside the bones of Sonny Mulligan and leave with the plates.

Gently, Bunny tells Sabrina how deeply Git loves her and urges her to learn to forgive him, saying, "The benefit of the doubt can even save your life."

[2] Janet Maslin of The New York Times praised it for "steering clear of Irish movie stereotypes and instead showing off a spare and quizzical indie spirit".