John Sawyer, once an eminent barrister, has slid into a life of cynicism and drunkenness since his wife left him. When his daughter's boyfriend is accused of murder, Sawyer decides to try to pull himself together and defend him in court.

Adapted from a novel by legendary French crime writer Georges Simenon (previously filmed in 1942 by Henri Decoin), the tale pivots around English barrister John Sawyer (Mason), who's been on a downslide after losing his wife and finding himself increasingly detached from his daughter, Angela (Chaplin). Consumed by self-doubt and a penchant for the bottle, he can't understand his daughter's desire to hang out with the local party crowd and her choice of boyfriend, Greek immigrant Jo (Bertoya), who becomes the prime suspect in a murder that occurs right under John's nose. With one last chance to do right by his daughter, John must find a way to get to the bottom of the mystery before losing her forever.