Syriana (2005)

Synopsis: The gang in Ocean's 11 is back minus the Pitt and well pretty much everyone else except for George Clooney and Matt Damon. But I guess that's all you really need! They play different roles all involved in the oil industry. Their jobs contradict one another while at the same time, similar. They are each responsible for the way oil is distributed from the Middle East into the rest of the world. As you know, the oil game is a very profitable game if you play it right. And by playing it right I mean do whatever it takes to get the big contracts and make sure that you have sole rights to the biggest untapped natural resource in the world! That's pretty much what this movie is about. It's high politics at its finest as it trudges along for an hour and forty minutes. Is it worth it? Come along and find out, Children.

Should You Watch It? This is by no means an insult on the film but it might sound like one. If you're not a big fan of the oil industry or don't really care about it, then maybe this movie isn't going to thrill the hell outta you. I know it has an all-star cast outside of Clooney and Damon but seriously, beyond them, there really isn't anything that's awefully interesting. You would think that with something as crazy as an oil struggle, there would be more cloak and dagger and more violence behind closed doors. Well, there is, but seriously, it's tame compared to TV shows like 24 which just won't do it for some thrill seeing folks.

Things to Watch Out For: Other than the war for oil and stuff, there is a very strong family sub-plot involved in all the big names in this movie. But the thing is, it doesn't really fit into the struggle for oil. Sure, I guess the oil and money corrupts family and rips people apart but you don't really get to see a direct connection. You really have to make the connection yourself, and seriously, these peoples' families could have been messed up from the beginning. So I think they're just slandering oil haha.


Things You Don't Expect: There is a whole bunch of talking. And even though Chris Cooper is in it doing a lot of the talking, it still doesn't make it interesting enough. He's the guy from the first Bourne movie. He pretty much plays every government role available in Hollywood. Overall just pretty shocked at how all the stars and stuff couldn't make this exciting. It's okay Matt you did your best. I know if you had Ben there with you, it could have been worth watching.

Final Comments:
Story: 7.8 (Robert Baer: book, Stephen Gaghan: screen play)
Direction: 8.2 (Stephen Gaghan)
Acting: 8.0
Cinematography: 8.5
Music/Sound: 7.0

Entertainment Value: 6.2 (not an average)