Victor, a 37 year old hairstylist at Mexico, has a really standard routine: he works, plays domino, watches soccer and cleans his house. He also likes romantic music and old classic mexican movies. But suddenly, he has to break this routine and go to Rio the Janeiro.
Otavio is an idealistic union leader trying to organize workers at a factory to resist the company's exploitative practices. His son, Tião, one of the employees, is more of a realist and doesn't want to risk losing his job by striking. This clash of perspectives puts the father and son at odds. Fortunately, Tião's mother, Romana, is on hand to act as a moderator between the two opinionated men.
The dreams and problems of three friends: Malagueta, an inveterate gambler; Perus, former factory worker who abandoned the assembly line to earn his living at the billiards; and Bacanaço, trickster who puts on chic airs, always dreaming of performing the ultimate big swindle.