Released: 12/09/05

Viewed: 2:40pm 12/14/05

Starring: Kayvan Novak, George Clooney, Christopher Plummer, Jeffrey Wright, Matt Damon, Amanda Peet

Directed by: Stephen Gaghan

Warner Brothers - Official Site of the movie

Syriana is an interesting and unique movie. Because of this I'm sort of at a loss in describing it with any kind of accuracy. I feel like anything I might say about it won't do justice to the finished work. Because it really is an amazing movie. But why?

It's a complicated story about whose really controlling the oil in our world. We get a peek at each aspect of the system as many different folks do whatever is in their power to gain control. We also get the story of those trying to fight the people trying too aggressively and illegally to gain control. In that, the movie becomes a tale of right and wrong, good and evil.

How far would you go to make sure the right thing is done, and how far will others go to stop you? How important is what's right to you? Is it worth your job? Is it worth your child's life? These questions raised throughout the movie are as interesting as they are frustrating, but freshmen screenwriter/director Stephen Gaghan ably weaves together half a dozen different tales about the same thing. All with themes of morality, trust, secret agenda's and paranoia.

The prize is in the performances. George Clooney is fantastic, but I can't help thinking he's the stand out because he's the star. He's a complete bad ass, and when he shakes down Christopher Plummer you believe he will follow through if provoked. But it's still Clooney. I thought Jeffery Wright's storyline with his dependant father, and inside upper management conspiracy, was wonderfully done. It didn't have the car explosions and the torture scenes to keep you on the edge of your seat, but the meat of a story of this magnitude is rarely presented in such an entertaining way.

Admittedly I was surprised at how little the US government was involved in the oil conspiracy. Not directly anyway, but I half expected this movie to be a liberal attack on Bush and his handling of the situation in the Middle East. Instead they take the highroad and really show the unaware (I'm including myself in that group) how deep situations like this really go.

I found the ending truthful but frustrating. Without giving anything away, it was an eye opener as to what can be accomplished by the average man when dealing with something that affects the global economy. A negative eye opener. Still, that often makes for the more interesting story.

I'm giving it 6.5 out of 10 because I feel like it's entertaining, smart, timely, and important. But for all it brings to the table, including those spellbinding performances, it's a lot to digest. A lot of people would say Syriana is talking down to them, or that the politics of the world don't belong in the theater. Of course strip away the subject and what you have is a battle for power, and a desperate grasp to hang onto what's best. It's a story like any other. It just takes place over our heads. .

DVD worthy?: To get this on DVD would be interesting in terms of behind the scenes footage. I'm curious how it was all put together. But as a thriller and a drama, as a movie to watch on a lazy afternoon, it's too much. Great as a conversation starter, and an incredible piece of film work but it's too dense to rewatch casually.

If you liked this movie check out: Traffic

Traffic was written by Gaghan, so it's naturally going to have some similar qualities. It has multiple stories twirling around each other that never feel connected, but somehow come together to create a deep complete story. In that aspect Gaghan really knows what he's doing. He knows how to keep track of those loose ends.

Where Traffic wins out is in quality of entertainment. Syriana was really good, but it never digs its hooks into you the way Traffic does. I never felt anything close to the same connection. With Traffic I was being told an emotional story. With Syriana, it felt like I was getting the facts dictated out to me. It was more of a lesson than an experience.

Trailer Hitch: Firewall

Firewall looks like a real treat. I've been waiting for Harrison Ford to come back and do some of his old school action/dramas. From the trailer it seems that he's an inside man in a bank that is forced to help some baddies rob the place for tens of millions. After they capture his family he helps them, but then goes all Air Force One on them when they don't keep their end of the bargain.

Not only is it Ford's chance to reclaim his badass throne, but with Paul Bettany as his advisory and Virginia Madsen as his kidnapped wife, this could shape up to be one of his modern classics.

The news of Ocean's Thirteen is terrifyingly true. I'm sure Clooney didn't put up a fight because his production company is behind it, but after the disaster that was Ocean's 12, let's hope they're going to up the anti. I loved Ocean's Eleven but was completely deflated by the sequel that got rid of anything that made the original special. But I'm keeping my hopes up for 13. I love the cast; I just want them all to give me a reason again.

Today's vote will get you a picture of who I think should be the 13th member of Ocean's crew. It would definitely rock.

Before I leave you tonight I want to thank you for all the support with voting, and the downloading you've done for advanced comics over at the Ipod preview site Clickwheel. The support is greatly appreciated.

Lastly I'd like to point you towards a good friend Ross whose just gotten his comic Not Quite Wrong back in full swing. Ross and I met last year in Baltimore where I gave him a bad free pass to see Serenity. I sware, I thought it was good! Anyway, NQW is some good reading, and Ross is a good man so check it out.