Here's a quick thumbnail sketch of the many plots of the new Focus Features release, "Syriana," starring George Clooney, Matt Damon, Christopher Plumber and Chris Cooper:
Story 1) Bob Barnes (Clooney) is a CIA covert operative in the Middle East. An expert in this region, he speaks Farsi, is tight with Hezbollah and even infiltrated al-Qeada.
Story 2) Energy expert and financial consultant, Bryan Woodman (Damon) lives a great life in Geneva with his lovely wife, Julie (Amanda Peet, "The Whole 10 Yards") and his two adorable little boys.
Story 3) Attorney Bennett Holiday (Jeffrey Wright, "Broken Flowers") is hired by a Connex Oil Co. bigwig (Christopher Plummer, "The Insider") to find out any dirt on Connex's proposed merger with the small Kemmer Corporation before the Feds do. It seems that Kemmer has procured a deal with the vast oil fields of Kasakistan while Connex has just lost a big Saudi contract to the Chinese.
Story 4) A young Arab (Olivier Yglesias), despondent and unemployed because of the merger, is recruited into a radical Muslim terrorist organization.
And Story 5) A Saudi king passes up his oldest son, Prince Nasir (Alexander Siddig) - a reformer and visionary who desires to bring progress and civil rights to his country - in favor of his less-qualified younger brother (Sam Georges said) who, conveniently, supports keeping US troops in his country.
That's basically the plot setup. Now the wheels begin to turn. Barnes is assigned by the CIA to arrange the assassination of Nasir; instead he is subjected to brutal torture by a rogue terrorists, led by Mussawi (Mark Strong, "Oliver Twist"). Woodman becomes Nasir's chief financial adviser after his son's tragic death. Holiday, working with Kemmer honcho Jimmy Pope, finds a crooked connection in that company's big deal, and offers to cut a deal with the US Attorney's office. Later, after some bungling, the agency distances itself from Barnes, who heads to Saudi Arabi in an attempt to stop another plot against Nasir.
Competently written and directed by Stephan Gaghan (who won a screenplay Oscar in 2000 for "Traffic," another complex, multi-layered film, this time about the drug trade), "Syriana" can be seen as either a cerebral, thoughtful, intelligent, complex motion picture, or a convoluted, confusing mishmash of a movie.
To me, it's a little bit of both, with the overriding message that oil ruins everything it touches and the United States, with its secret dealings, underhanded alliances and shady involvement in other governments, is pretty much evil. Many people, however, may run out of patience before the movie ends (which seems to be almost glacial at times).
Evidently, Gaghan did a lot of research here, especially with Saudi royalty, and the intricate plots show this; likewise, the many location shots give a true, gritty feel to the picture. Use of Arabic and Farsi (along with English subtitles) also gives the movie a realistic look.
The acting, on the other hand, leaves something to be desired. Damon is his usual cute boy self; Peet is non-descript; Plummer is menacingly devious; and Clooney (bloated and bearded for the role) seems to sleepwalk through the role. It is a huge contrast to his dynamic work in the terrific "Good Night And Good Luck."
I cannot say I enjoyed the film; but it was a decent effort which deserves a look. Whether that mild recommendation means anything, I can't say. I have a feeling, though, that it will not translate into very big box office.
Story 1) Bob Barnes (Clooney) is a CIA covert operative in the Middle East. An expert in this region, he speaks Farsi, is tight with Hezbollah and even infiltrated al-Qeada.
Story 2) Energy expert and financial consultant, Bryan Woodman (Damon) lives a great life in Geneva with his lovely wife, Julie (Amanda Peet, "The Whole 10 Yards") and his two adorable little boys.
Story 3) Attorney Bennett Holiday (Jeffrey Wright, "Broken Flowers") is hired by a Connex Oil Co. bigwig (Christopher Plummer, "The Insider") to find out any dirt on Connex's proposed merger with the small Kemmer Corporation before the Feds do. It seems that Kemmer has procured a deal with the vast oil fields of Kasakistan while Connex has just lost a big Saudi contract to the Chinese.
Story 4) A young Arab (Olivier Yglesias), despondent and unemployed because of the merger, is recruited into a radical Muslim terrorist organization.
And Story 5) A Saudi king passes up his oldest son, Prince Nasir (Alexander Siddig) - a reformer and visionary who desires to bring progress and civil rights to his country - in favor of his less-qualified younger brother (Sam Georges said) who, conveniently, supports keeping US troops in his country.
That's basically the plot setup. Now the wheels begin to turn. Barnes is assigned by the CIA to arrange the assassination of Nasir; instead he is subjected to brutal torture by a rogue terrorists, led by Mussawi (Mark Strong, "Oliver Twist"). Woodman becomes Nasir's chief financial adviser after his son's tragic death. Holiday, working with Kemmer honcho Jimmy Pope, finds a crooked connection in that company's big deal, and offers to cut a deal with the US Attorney's office. Later, after some bungling, the agency distances itself from Barnes, who heads to Saudi Arabi in an attempt to stop another plot against Nasir.
Competently written and directed by Stephan Gaghan (who won a screenplay Oscar in 2000 for "Traffic," another complex, multi-layered film, this time about the drug trade), "Syriana" can be seen as either a cerebral, thoughtful, intelligent, complex motion picture, or a convoluted, confusing mishmash of a movie.
To me, it's a little bit of both, with the overriding message that oil ruins everything it touches and the United States, with its secret dealings, underhanded alliances and shady involvement in other governments, is pretty much evil. Many people, however, may run out of patience before the movie ends (which seems to be almost glacial at times).
Evidently, Gaghan did a lot of research here, especially with Saudi royalty, and the intricate plots show this; likewise, the many location shots give a true, gritty feel to the picture. Use of Arabic and Farsi (along with English subtitles) also gives the movie a realistic look.
The acting, on the other hand, leaves something to be desired. Damon is his usual cute boy self; Peet is non-descript; Plummer is menacingly devious; and Clooney (bloated and bearded for the role) seems to sleepwalk through the role. It is a huge contrast to his dynamic work in the terrific "Good Night And Good Luck."
I cannot say I enjoyed the film; but it was a decent effort which deserves a look. Whether that mild recommendation means anything, I can't say. I have a feeling, though, that it will not translate into very big box office.