In Montreal, a professional safe cracker who wants to retire, Nick Wells (De Niro), is persuaded to engage in one last heist by his friend Max (Brando), who plans the caper and recruits a younger thief, Jack Teller (Norton).

They intend to steal a priceless French scepter, once thought lost but rediscovered as it was brought into Canada illegally. However the job requires getting the artifact out of the heavily-guarded Customs House, where Teller has taken a maintenance job. In order to avoid suspicion, Teller pretends to be Brian, who is mentally challenged.