- A New York press agent must scramble when his major client becomes embroiled in a huge scandal.
- Eli Wurman is a decadent drug addicted New Yorker public relation, who is promoting a social event on behalf of Afro-Americans. Along two days of his crazy life, the day of the event and the day before, he makes contacts and favors, 'kissing asses', using drugs etc. Victoria Gray is his widow sister-in-law and passion in the past. Cary Launer is an Oscar winner actor and principal client of Eli. On the day before of the event, Eli finds out secrets that involve powerful men of America.—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Eli Wurman (Al Pacino) is an aging, burnt-out publicist whose best days are well behind him and wishes to retire from his line of work, but all he knows is how to hustle, cajole, threaten, and persuade. The hazy mania of his everyday life is fueled by a steady stream of prescription drugs and alcohol. Eli's influence in New York is waning and he cannot even get his client events a decent review in the newspapers. This is said, since at his peak Eli used to hob nob with the Kennedy's and even Martin Luther King.
One night, Eli's last remaining "big client" Cary Launer (Ryan O'Neal) - an actor considering a campaign for political office (Cary is preparing to run for the Senate) - entreats Eli to take care of his latest publicity mess, a dangerous liaison with Jilli Hopper (Tea Leoni), a hard-shelled, quick-tongued television actress with a soft center and a taste for illegal drugs. Cary wants Eli to bail Jilli out of jail and put her on a private plane from Teterboro airport. Cary flew in with Jilli from the west coast, but she was carrying drugs and got arrested. Eli only agrees, if Cary agrees to come to his benefit (against wrongful deportation of illegal immigrants from America) at the Palm hotel the following evening. Norris Volpe (Peter Gerety) is a reporter for the New York Post and sees Eli bailing Jilli out from the police station.
Jilli takes him to an opium den where looks for an electronic toy she left at the party earlier in the evening. A big-name businessman Elliot (Richard Schiff) discovers she is there, and they have her escorted to the elevator. As the elevator door closes, she holds up the toy and says, "I've got you all now!"
Eli takes her back to her hotel (presumably to pack up her belongings), but at some point, the toy falls out of her bag, and Eli unconsciously sticks it in the pocket of his overcoat. He later passes out in her hotel bathroom, but semi-wakes up to see someone attacking Jilli in bed and then passes out again. He leaves the next morning and assumes Jilli is just sleeping in bed. Eli hears on the news that Jilli has been murdered. The police want to question him, and his main client, Cary, suddenly wants to dump him, and brings a big sack of cash to Eli's office as a kind of severance package.
Eli is furious because he just spent the past night babysitting Cary's party girl, plus he promised a lot of people that Cary would appear at a big African American event up in Harlem that evening. Eli is one of the organizers, and it is a pet project of his. Eli believes that New York is turning into a police state by deporting foreigners at the slightest pretext. Reverend Lyle says that the community has been persecuted for generations and one little cocktail party is not going to change things on the ground. Eli convinces Lyle that his movement needs publicity and that is what Eli is going to give him with the event. Eli convinces Lyle to attend the party.
In the meantime, Eli's late brother's widow Victoria (Kim Basinger) is waiting for him at her hotel. Apparently, they had a history together before she married his brother, who has recently died. Victoria's feelings for Eli are mutual and she genuinely cares about and desires him. She offers him life away from his current lifestyle. However, Eli is hesitant, for she is his brother's widow.
But his work is interrupted by the police who question him and by acquaintances trying to ascertain how much Eli has seen and recalls. Eli finally realizes he is involved in something politically dangerous, and powerful forces are at play to keep his mouth shut. As he strives to bring together the people he knows - members of the Black and Jewish communities, film stars, and media - for the grand fundraiser, Eli's life is in grave danger. Eli struggles with remembering exactly what happened that night.
Eli goes to the Opium den & doesn't find Jilli's toy. He meets a rich businessman Elliot (whom he saw at the den the previous night) to discuss his appearance at his event. He finds Sandy (Robert Klein) (his doctor) along with a few other state dignitaries. Elliot explains that Jilli's toy was a camera with which she took pictures. So, a lot of futures are at stake. They want to use the pictures to stop Cary from running for Senate, as Elliot has plans to run for Senate himself.
Eli bargains for Elliot to appear at his event (Elliot doesn't want to come because one of African American Reverend Lyle Brunt (Bill Nunn) involved, called Elliot a blood sucking Hebrew). Cary makes an appearance & asks Eli whether Jilli gave him anything. Eli admits that he has the toy but promises that he won't give it to anyone.
Eli is sick that no one in the town cares for his genuine cause. He is tired & promises Vicky that they will take the noon train to Virginia the next day. They make plans to stay together back there. On the way home, a person hits Eli hard in the ribs. Turns out that the man made a tiny puncture & Eli bleed to death by next morning.
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