Rick is a screenwriter living in Los Angeles, California. He is successful in his career, but his life feels empty. Haunted by the death of one brother and the dire circumstances of the other, he finds temporary solace in Hollywood excess. Women provide a distraction from the daily pain he endures, and every encounter brings him closer to finding his place in the world.
The film is divided into eight chapters (each named after a tarot card from the Major Arcana except the final chapter, "Freedom"), plus a prologue, each loosely based around the central character's relationship with somebody in his life:
I. The Moon – Della, a rebellious young woman.
II. The Hanged Man – His brother Barry and father Joseph.
III. The Hermit – Tonio, an amoral playboy.
IV. Judgment – His physician ex-wife Nancy.
V. The Tower – Helen, a serene model.
VI. The High Priestess – Karen, a spirited, playful stripper.
VII. Death – Elizabeth, a married woman with whom he has a relationship and who becomes pregnant with a child that may be his.
VIII. Freedom – Isabel, an innocent who helps him see a way forward.
