Syriana [DVD] [2005]

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Amazon.co.uk Review
Syriana is an oil-based soap opera set against the world of global oil cartels. It is to the oil industry as Traffic was to the drug trade (no surprise, since writer/director Stephen Gaghan wrote the screenplay to Traffic): a sprawling attempt to portray the vast political, business, social, and personal implications of a societal addiction, in this case, oil. A major merger between two of the world’s largest oil companies reveals ethical dilemmas for the lawyer charged with making the deal (Jeffrey Wright), and major global implications beyond the obvious; a CIA operative (George Clooney) discovers the truth about his work, and the people he works for; a young oil broker (Matt Damon) encounters personal tragedy, then partners with an idealistic Gulf prince (Alexander Siddig) attempting to build a new economy for his people, only to find he’s opposed by powers far beyond his control. Meanwhile, disenfranchised Pakistani youths are lured into terrorism by a radical Islamic cleric. And that’s just the start. As in Traffic, in one way or another all of the characters’ fates are tied to each other, whether they realize it or not, though the connections are sometimes tenuous. While Syriana is basically a good film with timely resonance, it can’t quite seem to measure up to Gaghan’s ambitious vision and it very nearly collapses under the weight of its many storylines. Fortunately they are resolved skilfully enough to keep the film from going under in the end. To some viewers, Syriana will seem like an unfocused and over-loaded film that goes, all at once, everywhere and nowhere. Others will find it to be an important work earnestly exploring major issues. In either case, it’s a film that deserves to be taken seriously, and it’s likely to be one that will be talked about for a long time to come. --Dan Vancini

Synopsis
Stephen Gaghan, who won an Oscar for Best Screenplay for TRAFFIC, makes his directorial debut with SYRIANA, an espionage thriller set in the Middle East. George Clooney stars as Bob Barnes, a longtime CIA agent preparing to slow down his life and spend more time with his teenage son (Max Minghella). But his last secret mission, getting rid of Prince Nasir (Alexander Siddig), turns out to be more complicated than he imagined, placing him in the middle of a dangerous conspiracy involving government corruption, oil, and international terrorism. Matt Damon, who starred with Clooney in OCEAN'S ELEVEN and OCEAN'S TWELVE (and made a cameo in Clooney's CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND, which was also about spies and conspiracies), plays Bryan Woodman, an energy man whose ethics become vulnerable after the horrific loss of one of his sons. Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., lawyers Bennett Holiday (Jeffrey Wright) and Dean Whiting (Christopher Plummer) also must choose between the government's special interests and what's best for the world (as well as their own special interests). Gaghan gives SYRIANA a documentary-like feel, using handheld cameras and shooting on location, adding to the believability of the complex plot. To heighten the realism, Clooney learned to speak Arabic and even put on thirty pounds for the role. A fast-paced, heart-pounding, relentless film, SYRIANA was inspired by the true story of former CIA agent Robert Baer, told in his book SEE NO EVIL: THE TRUE STORY OF A GROUND SOLDIER IN THE CIA'S WAR ON TERRORISM.

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74 Reviews 5 star:  (18) 4 star:  (17) 3 star:  (12) 2 star:  (9) 1 star:  (18)           Average Customer Review 3.1 out of 5 stars (74 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   63 of 64 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars You'll either hate it or love it - I Love It!, 27 Mar 2006 By A Customer I had to put a review up after I saw the low rating - now, I know I gave it 5 stars (this is a personal rating after all), but I'm going to help people a little here rather than, as one person below me has, just give their side. Now, consider carefully what type of cinema goer are you? Do you only watch films for big noises and improbable story lines? Do you go because you want to see good cinematography, with a genuine message? Or are you in the middle, and sometimes like either, depending on mood? If you're the latter, give it a try when you're in a thoughtful mood, if you're the first of that list, probably not for you, if you're the second this is probably ideal (I myself don't mind admitting that I am the last of that list). This is a truly thought-provoking, genuinly disturbing, and all too possible a series of situations, I would rate it as possibly the best film I will ever see. Now, it has been accused of American-bashing by some americans (I have not seen a review outside of the US that has voiced this opinion) - but I believe it is unfounded. It is scathing to the global oil industry (and quite a few of these happen to be US owned) and to the US Governments attitude towards them in it's foreign policy, but this does not mean it's saying 'all americans are hateful'. Give it a try, you may be pleasantly surprised. Comment Comment (1) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   14 of 14 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting movie that comprises several stories at the same time..., 21 Feb 2007 By  Bel Alcat "bel_78" (Buenos Aires, Argentina) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    "Syriana", directed by Stephen Gaghan, is an engaging film that tackles many different stories at the same time. All of them have something in common, though: the oil industry, and the people that have some kind of relationship with it. Despite the fact that it is a little difficult to keep track of the diverse stories that "Syriana" comprises, it is well worth the effort, due to the fact that it allows the spectator to understand what is at stake for different people in the oil industry, and how a decision made by one of them affects the rest. What does Bob (George Clooney), a CIA operative, has to do with a poor immigrant who works in an oil field, or with a young reformist prince (Alexander Siddig)? And what do a broker (Matt Damon) and a lawyer (Jeffrey Wright) that don't know each other have to do with all of them? Oil, power, corruption and manipulation are the main subjects in "Syriana". This film is fiction, but some of its elements could well be truth, and that makes you think. On the whole, I think "Syriana" is a complicated movie, but one that deserves your time and attention. If you don't mind the fact that you must follow several stories at once, and that this film is undeniably serious and doesn't have any kind of comic relief, I think you will enjoy "Syriana". I know I did... Belen Alcat Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   26 of 27 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Syriana, 14 Mar 2006 By  Demob Happy "jamesewan" (London / Grenoble) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    Directed by Stephen Gaghan - writer of Soderberg's superb 'Traffic' - Syriana is a complex and fragmented web of stories that aims to provide a snapshot of the ways in which the US pursues its oil interests in the Middle East. In the same way that Traffic examined the US' war on drugs in the context of its relationship with Mexico, Syriana throws a spotlight on the US' hypocritical dealings with Arab nations and the terror it provokes (both the state-sponsored kind and that of Islamic martyrdom). The film is unapologetically confusing, drifting between a raft of obscure, character-driven stories without any overt attempt to help the viewers orientate themselves. In a sense it doesn't matter - in the same way that it doesn't matter if you understand all the dialogue in the West Wing - the message and implications are engaging even if the details aren't clear. Syriana is put together skillfully with good individual performances all round. It is shot in starched, bleached tones, be it in the desert or the encroaching skyscrapers, edifices of modernity that reflect a dazzling indifference. The camera work roams relentlessly in the manner of war reportage, adding to the sense of urgency and impending terror. There are few surprises in a film about corruption and fundamentalism - both Islamic and Capitalist - and the plot revolving around the brainwashing of a young muslim ex-oil worker into a suicide bomber is somewhat simplistic. The fragmented style, with loosely connected plots overlapping, could also be compared to 21 Grams, but it is the shadow of Traffic that looms over Syriana, which can't quite match the strength of that film's humanity (brought about by its strong individual characterisations, not least that of Benetio Del Torro). Nevertheless, it is an impressive work brought about by a burgeoning liberal film scene that - unlike Michael Moore - deserves to be taken seriously. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 74 customer reviews...		Most Recent Customer Reviews 2.0 out of 5 stars I lasted 25 minutes then pressed the eject button... I should have read more of the reviews on here before buying this... Trust me, I'm not the sort of person who needs to see lots of tanks exploding to enjoy a film; I can enjoy a... Read more Published 8 months ago by lifeclearout 2.0 out of 5 stars Very, very boring Stephen Gaghan's Syriana is a deliberately `worthy' attempt to confront issues in the Middle-East based around the Oil Industry, and is not only an incredibly boring `thriller',... Read more Published 8 months ago by Matthew Mercy 1.0 out of 5 stars You have been warned You know when you start watching a good movie and from the first few minutes it draws you in and you can relax and enjoy? Read more Published 10 months ago by Michael Barber 2.0 out of 5 stars Even more stupid than Traffic! First off I quite enjoyed this, much better than Gagans idiotic and unwatchable Traffic. But the question is who writes the scripts for Gagans films. Read more Published 11 months ago by M. G. Anderson 4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Power has no friends, only interests Syriana is one of those films that are not for the casual viewer since it deploys a lot of characters in a lot of threads that come together only at the last moment. Read more Published 13 months ago by Charles Vasey 1.0 out of 5 stars This movie is a waste of time Around an apparently complicated plot, an overly long screen play is developed that, in fact, could be jotted down in 2 lines. Read more Published 13 months ago by F. Panin 1.0 out of 5 stars Well researched, great cast, great photography but.... It's hard to understand how the makers of this film could get so much of it right but end up with such a poor quality, hard to watch movie; the answer, I believe, is in the plot,... Read more Published 15 months ago by K. Alexander 5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent political commentary. Highly recommended. This is an excellent political commentary about the way The West (including Britiain and America) treat those working for the oil industry, whether migrant workers or executives... Read more Published 16 months ago by Jane Louise 1.0 out of 5 stars Sleeping Scriptwriter Felt it was a great cast and a good story idea, but the scriptwriter did not take enough time to build characters before moving on to the next one and so there was a distinct lack... Read more Published 16 months ago by Da Parsons 5.0 out of 5 stars Not for Thick People How can you not be cynical if you have a reading age above 14, access to newspapers (not tabloids)? This film shows the US as a domineering bully of the worst reactionary... Read more Published 19 months ago by Styubud Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews › See all 74 customer reviews...

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