Review: Syriana

Saw this with K-Dawg, per a previous post. From top to bottom – the screenwriters, actors, and directors – the movie is a testament to the power of Hollywood when it pushes the limits of art and conscience, creating a powerful testimony to the excesses of geo-political maneuvering. 

George Clooney plays CIA operative Jack Barnes in this no-holds-bar thriller, weaving a sometimes shocking tapestry of Middle Eastern politics, fundamentalist apologetics, energy policy and socio-class power plays.  In subdued and effective roles, Matt Damon (energy analyst Bryan Woodman) and Chris Cooper (Jimmy Pope) breathe rich psychology into what could have been one-dimensional hacks at two common players in the oil industry.

Special note goes out to Alexander Siddig in his role as Prince Nasir Al-Subaii, a progressive representative that serves as a shining bulwark against the daily stereotypes found in the daily newswire about Middle Eastern governments. Amanda Peet, taking another small but provocative role as Julie Woodman, rounds out the excellent cast, injecting a very human cost and perspective to the shadowy and messy business of international espionage, Washington-Wall Street negotiations, and global capitalism.

Syriana treats the audience as an intelligent observer in the affair – allowing the viewer to capture snippets of conversations and sordid details, like a silent snoop into an unbelievable reality.  Characters are introduced abruptly. Conversations are shown half-way through. Storylines are spliced and juxtaposed against one another without easy reason.  The end result, an immensely satisfying peek into our conscience, provoking us to ask questions about our future and the people whom we have elected to carry out our apathies.

4/5 stars.