Phil, thief and second-rate magician, is serving a prison sentence. He's given a two day leave to attend his mother's funeral. Phil wants to make the most of these 48 hours of freedom to see Chris and Naze, his younger brothers, and Martha, the woman he loves. But it's a bitter reunion : he has to hold out against his brothers who were eagerly awaiting his exit to carry out a break-in, and Martha, tired of waiting, has moved in with Rex, a poultry merchant. Phil manages to restrain himself right to the final hour, but just as the prison gates are closing behind him, he looses it : he hits the guard and runs away... The urgency of the situation then forces Phil to commit a robbery... in Rex's poultry shop, where he's caught in the act by Rex and Martha. Things start moving fast and Phil runs off, with Martha as hostage...