Gambit

In a crowded Hong Kong nightclub, Harry Tristan Dean and his sculptor friend Emile Fournier spot exotic Eurasian showgirl Nicole Chang. They sense she bears an uncanny resemblance to Shahbandar's dead bride and to the Li Su statue. The encounter seeds a high-stakes deception that will hinge on Nicole's compliance.

Harry outlines a flawless caper to steal Li Su by replacing it with a replica crafted by Emile. Nicole's consent is tentative, but the lure of an authentic British passport persuades her to go along. The plan hinges on Shahbandar inviting them to view his private collection.

Nicole voices skepticism about the unspecified job and the $5,000 offer, but the passport promise seems irresistible. She agrees to play along as the scheme advances, wary but curious. The tension between risk and reward tightens the arrangement.

They travel to the Middle Eastern city of Dammuz, assuming the identities of Sir Harold Dean and Lady Nicole Dean. They check into Shahbandar's hotel, where the tycoon maintains a private penthouse and a guarded collection. Shahbandar pretends to play along while watching their every move.

Shahbandar invites them to lunch and grants Nicole access to his private quarters, giving Harry the chance to case the layout and spot the electronic guard around Li Su. Nicole grows uneasy about the plan but remains loyal to Harry. The stakes feel higher as the security system is revealed.

Shahbandar invites them to dinner; Harry refuses but convinces Nicole to attend so she can occupy him while he works. The tycoon pretends to be fooled while probing their motive, heightening the cat and mouse tension. The fragile trust between Harry and Nicole begins to wobble.

At a nightclub, Nicole realizes Shahbandar suspects something and slips away under a pretense to warn Harry. They coordinate their efforts to keep their deception intact while Shahbandar's attention remains divided. The clock is ticking as the plan moves toward action.

They manage to remove the Li Su without triggering the alarm, but Nicole's excitement leads her to cross the electronic beam, accidentally triggering it at the moment Harry proclaims his love. They retreat with the statue as alarms wail in the background. The romance complicates the heist, exposing their vulnerability.

Harry hides in Shahbandar's quarters while guards note the missing statue and examine a secret compartment in the wall. They discover that the real Li Su is not in the statue in hand. The fake remains in place, and so the immediate outcome is a tense standoff over the stolen artifact.

The next morning Shahbandar informs Nicole that his agents have found Harry in Hong Kong and presents a dossier showing he has no prior convictions. He hints that Nicole could walk free if she passes along a message to Harry to return Li Su. Nicole is arrested at the airport as the net tightens and she becomes a bargaining chip in the game.

Shahbandar tells Nicole she can be released if she carries a message to Harry demanding the Li Su's return. Nicole's position is precarious as she grapples with loyalty and consequences. The leverage is used to funnel information back to Harry.

At Emile's workshop in Hong Kong, Harry reveals that the authentic Li Su has been hidden in a hollow compartment inside a Buddha statue that Emile had previously sent to Shahbandar. Meanwhile Emile has prepared another exact replica to support the ruse and potential sales. The plan is to stage a theft and create a market for replicas.

Harry sends Shahbandar a telegram declaring the game a draw and revealing the whereabouts of the authentic statue. The telegram cements the illusion that the heist has produced multiple opportunities for sale. The wheels are turning as the trio plots their next moves.

Nicole decries Harry's dishonesty, arguing over the deception and the price of love. Harry smashes the replica to prove that Nicole matters more to him than the criminal plan. They walk away from Emile's workshop, damaged but intact as a pair.

Moments after, Emile gets a call from a prospective buyer and retrieves one of the hidden replicas from his closet. The Li Su market continues, hinting at future schemes even as the current caper ends. The film closes on the possibility of more duplications and clients.