The film’s humor is driven by its characters' desperate need to feel important.

Brad Pitt delivers a career-best comedic performance as a man whose only concerns are his iPod, his hair, and being a "good Samaritan" (for a price).

What follows is a frantic, violent, and ultimately meaningless series of events. As the characters try to sell the "secrets" to the Russians or use them for blackmail, the CIA watches from afar, increasingly confused by why anyone is doing anything at all. According to reviewers at Plugged In , the film is essentially a portrait of men and women who are self-absorbed to the point of ridiculousness.

George Clooney plays a paranoid federal marshal who is building a mysterious project in his basement, embodying the film's theme of misplaced technological obsession. The CIA’s Final Verdict

Frances McDormand’s character is driven entirely by her desire for cosmetic surgery, viewing the "spy" plot merely as a way to fund her physical transformation.