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Whose oil is it, anyway?
At the risk of sounding self-deprecating, Syriana is the kind of movie I assume is good because I didn't understand it. That doesn't mean it's so arty or intellectual I didn't enjoy it; it's just about economics and oil and recent events, the kind of stuff I don't pay much attention to until they make a movie about it. Now they have. Stephen Gaghan won an Oscar for his Traffic screenplay and obviously has another in his sights with Syriana, which he also directed capably. It's based on a nonfiction book, "See No Evil" by Robert Baer, but features a prominent, attorney-pleasing disclaimer to the effect that all the people and incidents portrayed are a crock. The incidents revolve around the merger of two oil companies to form what "could be the most profitable corporation in America...the fifth-largest oil and gas company in the world." Connex is already huge. Killen Oil is a smaller Texas firm that's achieved a strategic advantage — and attracted attention from government investigators — by obtaining valuable drilling rights in Kazakhstan. Connex's chief attorney sends his assistant, Bennett Holiday (Jeffrey Wright), to dig up dirt before the feds do: "Find the problem, fix the problem." Energy analyst Bryan Woodman (Matt Damon) is living in Switzerland with his wife (Amanda Peet) and two sons. After he suffers a personal tragedy his company sends him to get some business from an unnamed Persian Gulf country where the ruling emir will soon be succeeded by one of his two sons. One has close ties to the U.S. Bryan aligns himself with the other, Prince Nasir (Alexander Siddig), who wants to democratize his country, and tells him how to get back in the game by "maximizing profits...in a climate of falling prices." Bob Barnes (George Clooney) is a free-lance assassin who's often employed by the CIA. When something goes wrong in Beirut he gets tortured, almost killed, and The Company distances itself from him, leaving him to fend for himself against dark forces. Amid these big stories with big stars (when Clooney and Damon board the
same elevator it's like a trailer for Ocean's Thirteen) we
see the impact of American big business on little people halfway around
the world. In anticipation of the merger oil field workers are laid There's also a murky "Committee for the Liberation of Iran." I'm not sure what they're up to but I don't think I like them. Did I mention there's a lot going on in this movie? In addition to the action and conversations there are frequent news broadcasts in the background and you've got to sort through the clutter, just like in life. Syriana is not a movie where you can afford to let your mind wander. While having obvious appeal for news junkies, Syriana also tells personal stories of the major characters. Bob has a son and Bennett a father to worry about outside of their jobs. Wasim and his father want to get his mother out of Pakistan. The cast includes Christopher Plummer and Chris Cooper as oil executives, William Hurt as Bob's shadowy confidant and a brief but telling appearance by Tim Blake Nelson, who gives the most scathing pro-greed speech since Wall Street. While technically a thriller, Syriana underplays its thrills, aiming at your mind first and foremost. If it doesn't increase your understanding of world affairs, at least it will bring home how complicated they are. But gee, if we can't understand this stuff, how can we expect our President to? Steve Warren is a local actor and film reviewer. His reviews can also be seen weekly in the Sunday Paper. |
Syriana
Directed by: Stephen Gaghan 
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