A patient in an hospital dies under mysterious circumstances. The attending doctor Frank Holt gets under suspect - he'd been fired already from his last position due to malpractice. For his defense he investigates with help of doctor Anna Lang. Soon they find out that half of their colleagues were betting on the patient's diagnosis - was someone trying to increase his chances? But when Frank's friend, dissector Mary Connor, becomes deadly sick, he suspects there's even more to it.
A comic series of short vignettes built on one another to create a cumulative effect, as the characters discuss things as diverse as caffeine popsicles, Paris in the '20s, and the use of nicotine as an insecticide--all the while sitting around sipping coffee and smoking cigarettes. As director Jim Jarmusch delves into the normal pace of our world from an extraordinary angle, he shows just how absorbing the obsessions, joys and addictions of life can be, if truly observed.
Starring: Roberto Benigni, Tom Waits, Steve Buscemi, Cate Blanchett, Iggy Pop, Jack White, Meg White, Steve Coogan, Isaach De Bankolé, Genius/GZA, Cinqué Lee, Joie Lee, Taylor Mead, Alfred Molina, Bill Murray, William Rice