Syriana

Better bring a notepad and pen for this one. Syriana is a serious and politically charged movie, wherein the plot and message is not handed to the viewer on a silver platter (or gold or bronze or any other material with which one might make a platter). This film is quite difficult to follow, so if you have trouble keeping track of multiple storylines, especially schizophrenic and disjointed ones, then I'm serious about bringing along that notepad.

There are at least six separate plotlines within Syriana, many of which are deeply connected with each other, while others only loosly, and some not at all. Bob Barnes (George Clooney) works deep within the CIA, carrying out highly illegal operations in the Middle East that serve the best interests of the United States. In the opening scenes, he sells two missiles to an Iranian customer who has no idea that he is about to be blown up by the ill-gotten weapons as soon as Bob strolls outside. Unfortunately for George Clooney, however, Bob's plan isn't executed with quite the perfection that he had come to expect after his exploits in Ocean's 11. Meanwhile, back in the United States, two giant oil companies, Connex Oil and Killen Company, await final approval from the Justice Department in order to complete a merger that will give Connex Oil the rights to drill in Kazakhstan, which Killen Oil had recently won. The circumstances of Killen's contract with Kazakhstan are legally puzzling, leading the government to believe that the company paid someone off in order to win the rights. Bennett Holiday (Jeffrey Wright) is put in charge of due diligence for the merger, but his true, unspoken job is to find someone high up in Killen or Connex who can be a fall guy. The illusion of due diligence is really the key, since the US government doesn't really want to prevent a merger that would give the country those coveted exclusive drilling rights.

Yet another storyline begins as well, this one in Geneva, Switzerland with Bryan Woodman (Matt Damon), an energy analyst whose firm is vying for an advisory position to Emir Hamed Al-Subaai, the King (aka Emir) of a fictional Middle Eastern country. The Emir has two sons, the oldest of whom, Prince Nasir (Alexander Siddig), stands on the brink of succession to the throne as his aging father's health fails. The younger son, Prince Meshal (Akbar Kurtha), jealously watches his older brother handle state affairs, but is mostly content to squander whatever fortune he is given. The Emir and Prince Nasir have just signed a contract with China, giving the Chinese drilling rights in their country, much to the indignation of the United States. As Bryan Woodman wins Prince Nasir's trust and eventual contract, powerful players in the United States government seek ways to prevent Prince Nasir's ascension to the Emir's throne by ingratiating themselves to the younger, infinitely greedier Prince Meshal. The question quickly becomes: since Prince Nasir is a reformist seeking to embrace capitalism and democracy, why then does the United States oppose his leadership, even going so far as to plan his assassination?

Each of these storylines, as well as a few others, connect with each other in different ways and to varying degrees. The movie is told in a disorderly fashion, following the progression of each story for several minutes before abruptly switching to another. What is most interesting in the film is the inherent debate over morality and necessity, which is presented through various points of view. Needless to say, viewers will have much to think about as they leave the theater.

I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of this film, except for brief stretch of time during a particularly unpleasant scene when I scampered out of the theater. Otherwise, I fully recommend Syriana to those who enjoy serious films with controversial and complex political topics.