Rent Syriana (2005)

An unbelievably complicated, gripping & brilliant look at the true price we pay for oil & influence - Syriana review by TB

Syriana is incredible. It is a film which I saw not long after it was released in 2005. I watched it an almost empty cinema, which was the perfect place to view it (no annoying noises from other people, or hushed whispers of "I didn't understand that.) And believe me, there would have been a lot of that. This film is deliberately confusing, with multi-strand narratives & characters interacting with each other. For many people, that would immediately put them off. But the film is so well-crafted, so perfectly performed & paced, that if you stay with it, it will blow you away.

In loose terms, the film looks at the impact of a new oil deal in the Middle East. We follow the workers on the ground who, despite loyalty & hard graft, have been laid-off without a second thought; the energy analyst who is reporting on oil deals who gets sucked into the orbit of the Emir's business after a tragedy; the lawyer working on behalf of the legal firm investigating if there is criminality in this merger; the secret service agent who is attempting to track down a stolen American missile after a sting goes wrong, plus other different strands relating to this stories.

This is intrinsic, dense storytelling but it is also a masterpiece of subtly. Clooney, who won pretty much every award going (including an Oscar,) is electric. To look at Bob Barnes, you would never think he is a spy, much less imagine that he is capable of espionage. Podgy, with a salt-and-pepper beard & an easy-going manner, he becomes a dogged & relentless pursuer of the truth following a deal gone bad. Never more is this shown than a midnight meeting with a powerful handler of his whom he turns the tables on. Damon also does strong work, reminding you that when he isn't playing Jason Bourne or another action hero, he is a powerful presence.

I loved the locations the film uses (over 200 of them,) taking us all around the world as the different parts of the story interconnect. At times, you are in total confusion as to who is involved with what and how that effects the storyline. And the film offers no easy answers. I cannot think of another film within recent memory which not only challenges you, but takes the time to make fully-rounded & believable characters.

Syriana was also unique in that it was an American Hollywood film which took the time to show just how people can be sucked into terrorism & suicide-bombing, without it being either a sappy saccharine sob-story or simply a plot device to make the other parts work, without fully committing to it. These aren't simply "Bad Muslims who hate America & want to destroy it," but complex & desperate people who through circumstance go down a dangerous & deadly path.

The only other thing I will add to my review is that this is a film that has to be watched a minimum of two times, in order to fully appreciate & understand it's nuances, complexities & story. But it's impact will stay with you forever.

Stunning filmmaking