SYRIANA is a geo-political thriller that from interconnected story lines tells the stories of people involved in one way or other in the gravitation towards oil. It starts out with a bang and never lets up, but all too often it overplays the technicalities of political lingo in lieu of focusing more on the personal story lines, so the only story that gets the full treatment is not that of CIA operative Robert Barnes but of a Pakistani immigrant, Wahid Khan (Mazhar Munir), who evolves from being a man who cannot get a job because he does not know the language to a man on a suicide mission not unlike many suicide bombers who have left videotaped messages for those to listen and ponder.
SYRIANA never takes active sides with anyone because of its attempts to expose a massive oil conspiracy by our own governmental interests which makes us as a Nation seem scarier than anything shown in 1984. We freely invade other countries and lead them by their noses, pretending to be their aides, using up their resources until there is nothing else, and kill those who have honest interests in advancing their poverty-stricken nations, such as the Middle-Eastern prince (Alexander Siddig) who in wanting to form an alliance with China had his assets frozen and was declared a terrorist. America has developed such a leeching presence in the Middle Eastern area, and SYRIANA, like MANDERLAY, paints an unflattering picture of us as a nation of greed.
As in the case of most Stephen Soderbergh produced or related projects, the same team brings forth a compelling but somewhat abstract picture that runs the risk of running away from the viewer at any moment due to its very complexity. However, all of the stories presented here are terrific if a little incomplete and everyone is equal in exacting performances which portray the people on display. George Clooney is excellent as Robert Barnes, Matt Damon is deceiving as Bryan Woodman, the man who sells his soul to oil, Jeffrey Wright is understated as the lawyer investing a series of discrepancies between two merger oil companies. Amanda Peet, Christopher Plummer, Jamey Sheridan, Chris Cooper, and William Hurt round up a great cast.
SYRIANA never takes active sides with anyone because of its attempts to expose a massive oil conspiracy by our own governmental interests which makes us as a Nation seem scarier than anything shown in 1984. We freely invade other countries and lead them by their noses, pretending to be their aides, using up their resources until there is nothing else, and kill those who have honest interests in advancing their poverty-stricken nations, such as the Middle-Eastern prince (Alexander Siddig) who in wanting to form an alliance with China had his assets frozen and was declared a terrorist. America has developed such a leeching presence in the Middle Eastern area, and SYRIANA, like MANDERLAY, paints an unflattering picture of us as a nation of greed.
As in the case of most Stephen Soderbergh produced or related projects, the same team brings forth a compelling but somewhat abstract picture that runs the risk of running away from the viewer at any moment due to its very complexity. However, all of the stories presented here are terrific if a little incomplete and everyone is equal in exacting performances which portray the people on display. George Clooney is excellent as Robert Barnes, Matt Damon is deceiving as Bryan Woodman, the man who sells his soul to oil, Jeffrey Wright is understated as the lawyer investing a series of discrepancies between two merger oil companies. Amanda Peet, Christopher Plummer, Jamey Sheridan, Chris Cooper, and William Hurt round up a great cast.