An American couple in the late 1940s try to give their lacklustre marriage a boost by taking a long trip to North Africa, with an old friend in tow. However, the experience only leads to more heartbreak when a love triangle exposes all their desires and disappointments. Bernardo Bertolucci's period drama based on the novel by Paul Bowles, starring John Malkovich, Debra Winger, Campbell Scott and Timothy Spall