A sub par film from the usually excellent Coen Brothers

Rating: 4/10 (30 September 2009)

The first review I heard of this film was fairly negative but I took it with a pinch of salt as the reviewer didn't like "The Big Lebowski" or " Oh Brother Where Art Thou", both of which I really enjoyed, unfortunately he was right this time. If I hadn't read on the DVD box that it was meant to be a comedy I wouldn't have realised for much of the film. A comedy really needs to get a few good laughs in the opening scenes which this sadly lacks, in fact the funniest scene is right at the end when its a bit late to grab the viewer's attention.
The film starts with CIA agent Osbourne Cox quitting the agency when he is demoted. He decides to write his memoirs which leads to trouble when his wife copies his computer files as she thinks they may contain financial information she could use when she divorces him. The disc with the files is lost in a gym and found by two less than intelligent employees who see it as an opportunity to make some money, little knowing that the information on it is fairly low level. Against this spy story we also have Cox's wife having an affair with Treasury agent Harry Pfarrer who is also involved with one of the two gym employees.
The actors did a good enough job as one would expect from such big names, although I thought the best performance came from J.K. Simmons in his small role as an unnamed CIA Superior which provided more laughs than the rest of the film did. Some viewers might be put off by the constant swearing and while it isn't a particularly violent film there is one scene where somebody is shot which is bloody and shocking.
I can't really recommend buying this to anybody who isn't a completist who needs to see every film of a particular actor or the Coen Brothers. It might be worth watching when it is on television if there is nothing better on.