Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich) is a CIA analyst who quits his job at the CIA after being demoted because of his drinking problem. He then decides to write a memoir about his life in the CIA. His wife, Katie Cox (Tilda Swinton), wants to divorce Osbourne and, at the counsel of her divorce lawyer, she copies all his personal financial files off his computer along with his work-in-progress memoirs. This disk eventually finds its way to Hardbodies, a workout gym. Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt), who works at the gym, finds the disc and intends to blackmail Cox with his former employee Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand). George Clooney appears as Treasury agent Harry Pfarrer who is sleeping with Katie, Osbourne's wife.