Syriana
(Spoilers Ahead)
Steven Gaghan (of Traffic fame)has directed this movie based on a novel "See No Evil" (also the working title for the movie) by the ex-CIA agent, Robert Baer.
This is such an outstanding example of a well written script. The entire movie has this certain tautness to it. George Clooney plays the main role, of an agent who discovers behind the scene machinations and the existing power politics in the oil business as well the politics in the Middle East. The story is intertwined with the tale of a consultant who befriends one of the royal family members, the role of the consultant essayed by Matt Damon. The background is that of an American company which gets beaten out of a contract by a Chinese company, leading to a merger of the American company with a smaller company that has landed a Kazhaki contract, leaving the Dept of Justice wondering whether there is more to it than just the oil price!
The story is quite tragic and the viewer could be forgiven for being a trifle despondent and cynical about the state of the oil business in the present day and the role of the American government and oil companies in it.
My favourite scene is the one in which George Clooney’s character has to meet someone in a Hezbollah controlled area, despite the presence of a government and he is assured that he will come to no harm, as long he doesn’t mess around. Something goes terribly wrong and he is captured and tortured and eventually rescued just in time, by the people who had assured his well being in the first place.
This could have easily been a documentary if not for the dramatic ending.
George Clooney apparently went on a heavy carbo-diet to look his part and hurt himself during the filming and then later said that it was very stupid of him to have done something like that. I disagree with him. I think he did a great job by trying to look the part.
The movie could have easily lost its way by focusing on the Pakistanis who join the jehad, the lost missile in Iran and several other things, but no, Gaghan has his eye on the ball. And he swings well.
Must watch.
Labels: Movies
posted by D at
8/26/2006 09:52:00 AM
5 Comments:
Hmmm...
I liked the feel of the movie, but the plot went right over my head, just like anything involving economics always does. I was sitting in the hall with a vague feeling that you get when you try to push through a crowd of bystanders to see what they're gawking at, but can't. You get the feeling that something interesting is going on, but you have no idea what...
if anything, i thought syriana was as much politics as business.
anyways, you may want to try reading the book. i haven't, but some people get books better than movies
I liked the movie, but I have some issues with the preferred worldview espoused by Gaghan. More on that when we talk. Of course, Clooney's character is based on a bunch of different people, such as William Buckley, station chief in Beirut c. 1986. He was captured by the Hezbollah and died horribly. Someone even claimed that the Hezbollah sent the CIA a video, complete with sound.
there you go. i didn't know all that stuff abt the basis for clooney's characters. not much of a spy-follower.
the hezbollah and CIA, nasty stuff, yech!
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