Introduction:

Osborne Cox (John Malkovich) is a CIA analyst who quits his job at the agency after being demoted because of a drinking problem. He then decides to write a memoir about his life in the CIA. His wife, pediatrician Katie Cox (Tilda Swinton), wants to divorce Osborne and, at the counsel of her divorce lawyer (J.R. Horne), she copies many of his personal and financial files off his computer and onto a compact disc. The lawyer’s receptionist accidentally leaves the disc at Hardbodies, a health club. After her husband is served with divorce papers, Katie changes the locks to keep him out of their house.

An employee of the gym, Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt), and Linda obtain the disc from the gym’s custodian. Seeing the content of the memoir, they assume that it is highly classified information. Initially Chad only wants to give the disk back to Osborne hoping for a reward, intending to use the money to pay for Linda’s cosmetic surgery. However, after a confusing phone conversation and a high temper on Osborne’s part, their original plan descends into a blackmail attempt. Chad meets Osborne, who, aware that the “information” is merely his memoirs, refuses to pay and punches Chad in the nose. Linda decides to take the information to the Russian embassy. At the embassy, she hands the disk over to the Russians, promising that she will give more information afterwards. Because Linda and Chad don’t have any more information, they decide to break into Osborne’s house.