"Can’t We Oil Just Get Along?"
by Scott Mantz

"Syriana"
George Clooney, Matt Damon, Jeffrey Wright
Directed by Stephen Gaghan

In the line of fire! George Clooney goes undercover in "Syriana"

Sophisticated moviegoers who are clamoring for something a little more intellectually stimulating from the Hollywood studios will likely get more than they bargained for with the challenging new political thriller, “Syriana.”  As written and directed by Stephen Gaghan, who’s screenplay for “Traffic” – 2000’s multi-character, multi-level expose about war on drugs – won an Oscar, the $50 million-budgeted film takes a similarly in-depth approach to its look at the rampant corruption that fuels the global oil industry.  That makes “Syriana” a fascinating, powerful and extremely provocative cinematic experience, but it’s also very complex and hard to follow, which makes repeated viewings not just helpful, but mandatory.

“Syriana” – which refers to the hypothetical reshaping of the Middle East – interweaves multiple storylines to expose the consequences of mankind’s relentless pursuit of wealth and power in the Persian Gulf.  Bob Barnes (George Clooney) is a veteran CIA operative who’s left hung out to dry after his latest undercover mission – to assassinate the young, reform-minded Arab Prince Nasir (Alexander Siddig) – goes terribly wrong.  Bryan Woodman (Matt Damon) is an idealistic energy analyst who seizes the opportunity to help Nasir realize his bold vision, even if it means turning his back on his own family.  Bennett Holiday (Jeffrey Wright) is an ambitious attorney who supervises the merger of two oil companies clamoring for the rights to drill in Kazakhstan, while his powerful boss, Dean Whiting (Christopher Plummer), is opposed to the new reforms that Nasir hopes to implement.

At the other end of the spectrum lies Wasim (Mazhar Munir), a young Pakistani migrant laborer who loses his job in the oil fields when the Chinese take over.  His hopes for a better life are dashed when his work visa runs out, forcing him to find solace at a radical Islamic school where he becomes a suicide bomber.  With so many people literally and figuratively dipping their feet into the political wells, it’s only a matter of time before they clash in ways that will have explosive repercussions on the rest of the world.

Just like “Traffic” explored how the war on drugs affected various levels of the public, private and political sector, “Syriana” takes the same approach while exploring the geopolitics of the oil business.  But where many drug-free moviegoers could watch “Traffic” and boast that they weren’t effected by addiction, they won’t be able to say the same thing about “Syriana” – especially if they drove their cars to the local theater to see it.  That’s because the oil industry is an addiction that really does effect everyone, and with most of it stuck in areas that are politically and geographically hard to get to, the complex dynamic will stay that way for a very long time.

And there’s no doubt that Gaghan did his research on making that point hit close to home, which is why “Syriana” is so rich with informative detail.  But it may be a little too rich, as the film can be hard to follow – especially where the legalities of the oil merger are concerned.  As a result, trying to figure out who’s doing what to whom can get a little confusing at times, and the emotional impact of the various subplots tend to get buried under such an overwhelming amount of information.

But when the human drama does hit home, it hits hard – particularly where George Clooney’s fully realized character is concerned.  He plays Bob Barnes as a good man who’s been used so many times that he can’t even see what’s good anymore.  He’s a shattered, beaten, shell of a man who’s lived in the gray zone for far too long, and his personal and professional judgement have been corrupted because of it.  By hiding his movie star good looks behind a shaggy beard and 30 pounds of extra weight, Clooney gives a compelling, tour-de-force performance that speaks for itself and ranks among the best of his career.

Clooney’s “Ocean’s Eleven” and “Ocean’s Twelve” co-star Matt Damon also stands out as a naïve energy analyst who believes that he can swim against the political tides to make a difference.  Alexander Siddig (best known as Dr. Bashir on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”) gives a star-making turn as the Arab Prince who embraces reform and suffers the consequences.  Jeffrey Wright is also terrific as the conflicted attorney who’s torn between his conscience and his career, while Christopher Plummer is remarkably effective as the intimidating bureaucrat pulling the strings back in Washington DC.

“Syriana” is loaded with characters, locations, ideas and details, so it’s a lot to digest in one sitting.  It’s a well-oiled cinematic machine, but it’s enough to make your head spin, which is why seeing it more than once really does help everything make sense.  But more importantly, it asks provocative and controversial questions that people should be asking in these politically charged, war ravaged times, one of which applies to everyone – Can’t we all just get along?

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