British couple Nigel (Hugh Grant) and Fiona Dobson (Kristin Scott Thomas) are on a Mediterranean cruise ship to Istanbul en route to India. They encounter a beautiful French woman, Mimi (Emmanuelle Seigner), and that night Nigel meets her while dancing alone in the ship's bar. Later Nigel meets her much older and disabled American husband Oscar (Peter Coyote), who is acerbic and cynical, having been jaded and a failure as a writer.