Romantic bandits, corrupt policemen, a mysterious woman, escapes, chases, shootings, all set in Sao Paulo by night. Sao Paolo is a city with many faces. For tourists, it is still a glamorous hotspot, and it boasts a thriving downtown with many skyscrapers. The favelas on its outskirts play host to hordes of displaced peasants from the countryside. Thus, it comes as no surprise that the city has its criminal underside which comes to life at night. Through flashbacks, the story of Shirley and Anjo, two ordinary denizens of the underworld, are told by a man sitting at the bar in a nightclub. Neither of them is loyal, trustworthy, clean or brave, but there is an unspoiled quality about them that inspires hope even when they are betraying each other. They are victims of two closely allied forces: a corrupt, heroin-addicted police chief, and a "Japo," a Brazilian/Japanese gang lord who rules the roost in the section of town where his people live.