Osbourne Cox, a Balkan expert, is fired at the CIA, so he begins a memoir. His wife wants a divorce and expects her lover, Harry, a philandering State Department marshal, to leave his wife. A diskette falls out of a gym bag at a Georgetown fitness center. Two employees there try to turn it into cash: Linda, who wants money for elective surgery, and Chad, an amiable goof. Information on the disc leads them to Osbourne who rejects their sales pitch; then they visit the Russian embassy. To sweeten the pot, they decide they need more of Osbourne's secrets. Meanwhile, Linda's boss likes her, and Harry's wife leaves for a book tour. All roads lead to Osbourne's house.

The first Coen Brothers film not photographed by Roger Deakins since Miller's Crossing (1990). He was unavailable, having committed to shoot Revolutionary Road (2008).

Harry Pfarrer:
Go around the corner, we'll do it in the back.


Katie Cox:
You're so coarse.


Harry Pfarrer:
Back of the car... not the rear entry situation...

Continuity: When Osbourne is getting demoted, a gold pen keeps appearing and disappearing on the desk.

Written by Tuli Kupierberg
Performed by The Fugs
Courtesy of Edward Sanders / Heavy Metal Music