A confusing, unresolved mess.

Rating: 4/10 (1 February 2009)

At one point in this movie, an CIA agent calls the situation 'a cluster****'. Perhaps not ironic at all is the fact that he's describing the plot to this movie--and he's correct!
The movie is set in DC, and nearly all characters work for some government department with the exception of Brad Pitt and Francis McDormand's DC gym employees. Pitt's character finds a CD at the gym with what appears to be sensitive CIA info, and he and his co-worker at the gym (McDormand) try to blackmail the owner of the CD, and when that does not go well they head for the Russian embassy to see if there's interest there. Shades of Sean Penn in Falcon and the Snowman there.
However, Pitt's character is the most glaring 'fish out of water' in this movie--but not because he's not with the government. It's because his character is a character that has never existed in human reality.
He's overplaying a character that's an amalgam of gay, stupid, jockish, quasi-gutsy, and 'dude'. In this film he's not funny, not cute, he's like the zipper in the dryer that keeps making noise while you're watching TV and you wish it would stop.
The best and most affecting performance is by Richard Jenkins who plays the lovestruck gym manager. Malkovich's and Swanton's performances are good as well, and so is David Rasche (anyone remember Sledge Hammer?).
And the music score--very heavy 'suspense' music--does not work as suspense music or as 'comedy ironic suspense' music. And speaking of what isn't a fit--Clooney's basement contraption had no place in this movie at all, it was a giant WTF. It would've been funny in a movie of a different flavor but I just rolled my eyes.
Anyway, the plot more revolves around who's cheating on whom, and that gets very confusing. Clooney's character is sort of the thread that ties all of the different plot lines together, but it's too confusing and sloppy that it doesn't work. Nor does it ever tie up the numerous loose ends, which is a disappointment of Soprano's proportions.
I give it 4, for Rashke, Jenkins, Malkovich, and Swanton's performances, but the messy, un resolved plot prevents it from any higher.