(2008) By presenting all of their characters as either dunces or dupes, do the Coen brothers completely despise the intelligence of the intelligence community along with anyone who comes into contact (no matter how remotely) with its machinations? Is everyone in proximity to the power capital of the world delusional and a target of someone else's devious plot for sex, money, or prestige? Only the Russians come away as having some redeeming social character.

Our story begins at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, with Balkan-desk analyst Osborne Cox (John Malkovich), arrogant and obscene, getting the shaft (a drinking problem in the eyes of his Mormon superior): "Whose ass didn't I kiss?" When Oz tells his wife Katie (Tilda Swinton), a pediatrician and purebred bitch, he's quit the agency ("swimming against the current" of a bureaucracy) and decided to write his memoirs, she consults a divorce attorney named Bogus, who cautions her that her husband is "a man practiced in deceit."

She's also having an affair with sex-obsessed and full-of-himself Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney), a member of the Marshal Service with the Treasury Dept, whose wife Sandra leaves on a book tour to promote her new children's publication. He's also Internet dating and secretly constructing a device in his basement for Sandy's return.

Also cruising the Web for a mate, Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand), a hard-luck employee at Hardbodies Fitness Center, wants to reinvent herself with liposuction, rhinoplasty, a facial tuck, and breast augmentation; but her HMO refuses to cover the elective, cosmetic surgeries. The fitness-center manager Ted (Richard Jenkins), formerly a Greek Orthodox priest, intimates his approval of her appearance as is, covertly recommending himself to her.

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presents itself when Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt), a trainer at the gym, comes into possession of a CD the custodian found lying on the floor in the women's locker room, containing what appears to be "raw intelligence" from an intelligence agent. Sharing his find with Linda, then posing as a "Good Samaritan," he contacts Osborne Cox, offering return of the disk in exchange for a $50,000 reward, which would help Linda pay for her makeover.

In the park Harry meets Linda through their mutual Internet dating service.

Inside Ozzie's car, Chad, posing as "Mr Black," demands payment; outraged by morons attempting to blackmail him, Oz bloodies Chad's nose. Convinced that they have something of great value worth selling to a bigger entity, Linda and Chad visit the Russian embassy where they show Mr Krapotkin the CD, telling him this is just a taste of what they have. However, that's everything they have.

Chad breaks into the Coxes' house (into which the ex-agent can no longer enter after Katie changed the locks), hides in the bedroom closet when Harry (who has a key) enters to take a quick shower, and ... well, that would be telling.

Fanatical, misanthropic movemakers, directors/writers/producers Joel and Ethan Coen fill their farcical film with comical confusion from "a league of morons," consumed with their hedonism or self-importance, dispensing violence indiscriminately (both verbal and physical), while the clueless Central Incompetence Agency's superior agent (JK Simmons) approves of the disposal of the bodies without any clear understanding of what's happening. Most appropriately the credits conclude with the song "CIA Man" ("Fucking-A-Man") by The Fugs.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in video and/or DVD format, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

Copyright © 2008 Patrick Ivers. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

Patrick Ivers can be reached via e-mail at .