Movie Reviews

Syriana

Rated R, 2:06 (2005)

Starring: George Clooney, Jeffrey Wright, Matt Damon, Alexander Siddig, Chris Cooper, Christopher Plummer, Amanda Peet, William Hurt

Direction: Stephen Gaghan

Production: Jennifer Fox, Georgia Kacandes, Michael Nozik

Screenplay: Stephen Gaghan, inspired by See No Evil: The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA's War on Terrorism by Robert Baer

by Vincent St. James

The Lowdown:

George Clooney, Stephen Gaghan and company have created a movie with a lot of guts...and I like it.

"Corruption...is why we win"

What's wrong with the world? Well, plenty, but don't expect Stephen Gaghan's Syriana to let you in on the secret to how to fix it all. This film isn't meant to be a rosy expose' on the state of our union or it's relations with the rest of the world. What it is is a story that illustrates how not everything we read is true, how not everything makes it to the papers, and how the business and politics sections of your local paper are really different sides of the same coin. It's also a film that provides insight into the lives of those men and women who are on the front lines of these headlines, and on the nature of our country's business interests in the Middle East.

Syriana's plot is a highly complex blend of interwoven storylines. George Clooney plays Bob Barnes, a CIA agent whose engagements are dangerous and alarming to the his employer, US Government. Alexander Siddig plays Prince Nasir Al-Subaai in what becomes an intriguing look at how politics and business is dealt with in the Middle East as Prince Nasir is set to become head of his oil-rich nation. Then there is Connex and Killen, your two US oil companies in the middle of a lucrative merger that involves operations in Kazakhstan and backdoor, hush-hush dealing.

Admittedly, Syriana is complex. It has a lot to tell, and it might lose half of it's audience before they've gotten comfortable in their chair. However, for those who stick it through and pay attention to not only the storyline but the overall tone and texture of what's being painted here what will be revealed is a movie that opens eyes to the state of our world. The United States is the world's most powerful country, and oil is one its biggest businesses. Hence, a film like this matters whether you agree with it or not.

Gaghan script here is as rich as the one for 2000's Traffic. The mood and pace is similar. The film is based loosely on real events, i.e. what you see didn't exactly happen, but it's context and relation to our real world is so important that it's as if all of this did happen for real. There are plenty of good lines (who doesn't like a movie with good lines?) such as Matt Damon's "so, yes, on the behalf of my firm I accept your money" and one Washington insider's reference to how "corruption.. is why we win."

Acting is another strength of this movie. George Clooney's off screen sacrifices in making this movie, including injuries and gaining weight, seem to have paid off. He has transformed from the Clooney we know, and he brings depth to his character. At times, you look into his eyes, and it's as if he's wondering "does it matter? I am a CIA operative in Iran involved in some of the biggest issues in the world, but does anything I do really matter?" At other times, he portrays someone who will do what needs to be done, damn the consequences. His character understands fully what's at stake in a job like this, but you can't help but feel bad for him.

Matt Damon is as good as usual as an American energy analyst living in Europe and travelling to the Middle East. He has the feel of someone who goes along with the game because that's the only way to win, but slowly he starts to question the game's rules. His scenes with Middle-Eastern characters are quite entertaining and thought provoking.