Syriana

Pros: Clooney and Damon, Strong story, many interlocking plots, realism

Cons: might seem a little confusing

The Bottom Line: Syriana is a very well done story about Oil and how much it controls in our world.

Review: Syriana is a film based on a book written by Robert Baer. That book was called "See No Evil", and must have been a pretty good one because of all of the characters within the story. The screenplay was adapted with the help of Stephen Gaghan, who also ...

Pros: Clooney, Damon, Wright, Cooper; literate, complex and important.

Cons: Some might get frustrated with complicated plotlines and the various shades of gray.

The Bottom Line: The Bottom Line wishes there were more movies like this being made.

Review: The average American probably knows precious little about the various intricacies of the oil business. Beyond knowing that a lot of it comes from the Middle East and noticing that it keeps getting more expensive to fill up at the local station these ...

Pros: smart, dry, political thriller strong dialogue excellent acting.

Cons: lack of women characters, sometimes confusing

The Bottom Line: One of the finest political thrillers ever made. It's talky,dense and you'll need to pay close attention.

Review: "Corruption ain’t nothing more than government intrusion into market efficiencies in the form of regulation. That’s Milton Friedman. He got a goddamn Nobel prize. We have laws against it precisely so we can get away with it. Corruption is our ...

Pros: Gaghan's superb writing and directing; electrifying acting and thematic elements; Clooney, Siddig

Cons: So intricately plotted, one viewing may not tie everything together; deeply critical of US policy

The Bottom Line: Stephen Gaghan fulfills the promise of his "Traffic" credentials with SYRIANA, a spectacular and unsettling expose of the oil industry and its infiltrating grasp on corrupt business and political practices

Review: Bob Barnes (George Clooney) is a career CIA operative whose main charge over the past few decades has been to carry out covert assassinations in the Middle East. When a new assignment--an ordered hit on Prince Nasir (Alexander Siddig), the idealistic but ...

Pros: almost perfect as a film

Cons: hard to follow for some

The Bottom Line: Excellent Geopolitical content. A must see for anyone interested in current events.

Review: Finally a great movie. I truly loved this work of art, a fictional story set in a very real world depicting exactly the various overlapping and complex forces that make up the global predicament in regards to war, peace and energy production, ...

Pros: An incredible script with great performances all around.

Cons: None.

Review: Syriana is a brilliant political thriller and in my opinion, the second best film of the great year for cinema that was 2005. Syriana's script, which I've read twice and can be accessed right off the film's website, is absolutely terrific. Gaghan ...

Pros: excellent acting, fascinating plot

Cons: none

Review: i still don't understand why this movie would be criticized so much by people saying they simply don't understand it? thats the whole point of the movie. there is so much going on as far as corruption and politics in the oil world that it is not meant ...

Pros: intelligent, well-acted, with good direction and writing

Cons: an ensemble production with a somewhat byzantine plot

The Bottom Line: This political film may not be for everyone, but junkies will enjoy it.

Review: "Corruption charges...corruption? .... Corruption is our protection. Corruption keeps us safe and warm. Corruption is why you and I are prancing around in here instead of fighting over scraps of meat out in the street. Corruption...is why we ...

Pros: Direction. Action. Er, acting.

Cons: Tough to follow. Especially if you're sleepy.

The Bottom Line: is riding a bike from now on.

Review: Syriana is essentially the B-side to T raffic. The direction and script is virtually identical; conversations are captured from a spectator's perspective; the cinematography is variant, at times luscious and ...

Pros: A look at the other side of the Middle Eastern equation.

Cons: Confusing plot and one scene (torture) that will lose some in the audience.

The Bottom Line: If you want a different view of current Middle Eastern policies, take a look at this. but keep a barf bag handy.

Review: Syriana is another disappointment in a long list of 2005 movies that promised but didn't deliver. Call me a negative thinker, but 2004 was a much better year at the Bijou. Even so, the film had redemptive qualities and I have to give it high marks ...