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SYRIANA Send This Review to a Friend
Control of oil, big business intrigue, bribery, general corruption, maneuvers to rule an oil-rich country, international politics, the role of Washington and, of course, a CIA-type operative—all these are ingredients in the Middle East thriller “Syriana.” It is a film both involving and frustrating, for so much is going on and writer-director Stephen Gaghan, inspired by Robert Baer’s book “See No Evil,” approaches the subject so obtusely that you have to work to figure out exactly who is doing what to whom.
But doing it they are, and the portrait pieced together is one of ruthless, murderous intrigue. There is even a thread of plot involving the making of a suicide bomber with a fanatical agenda. But the men in suits, although working behind the scenes, are no less fanatical in the quest for profits and control, whether it involves company mergers and contracts, or efforts to shift oil deals to Washington instead of China. In this film, if it involves killing or torture, so be it and if someone gets in the way, he must be cut loose or eliminated.
The excellent cast grasps one’s attention in scene after scene, including bearded George Clooney in an ultra low-key mode playing an operative who endures fingernail pulling torture, Matt Damon as a financial analyst and Jeffrey Wright as a lawyer working on a merger. Other important cast members include Chris Cooper, William Hurt, Mazhar Munir, Tim Blake Nelson, Christopher Plummer and Amanda Peet.
The location work and the photography of Robert Elswit combine to provide the visual air of authenticity, and Gaghan’s direction keeps up an air of tension contributed to by making us pay close attention so as not to miss a moment that would help put the pieces of the puzzle together.
Coming at this time, the film adds fuel to the growing cynicism in the wake of the Iraq war and adds to the impression that what goes on in the Middle East involvement of the West is all about oil and power. So what else is new? “Syriana” is an entertainment, but one with things on its mind, and with all we know about the world, who can say that the evil portrayed in the film is unrealistic? A Warner Brothers Pictures release.
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