The film tracks the meandering fortunes of Frank, a gauche and inarticulate prop-maker with vague artistic ambitions who moves - at times as if sleepwalking - through a social and romantic obstacle course all of his own making. Frank is not so much insecure as almost inert, confused to the point of paralysis by his sudden urge to own a flat, and by the appearance of the beautiful and relatively carefree Ruby in his life.