Syriana (2005)
Amanda Peet, Chris Cooper, Christopher McDonald
From the players brokering back-room deals in Washington to the men toiling in the oil fields of the Persian Gulf, a political thriller with multiple storylines that weave together showing the human consequences of the fierce pursuit of wealth and power. As a career CIA operative begins to uncover t... (read more) From the players brokering back-room deals in Washington to the men toiling in the oil fields of the Persian Gulf, a political thriller with multiple storylines that weave together showing the human consequences of the fierce pursuit of wealth and power. As a career CIA operative begins to uncover the disturbing truth about the work he has devoted his life to, an up-and-coming oil broker faces an unimaginable family tragedy and finds redemption in his partnership with an idealistic Gulf prince. A corporate lawyer faces a moral dilemma as he finesses the questionable merger of two powerful U.S. oil companies, while across the globe, a disenfranchised Pakistani teenager falls prey to the recruiting efforts of a charismatic cleric. Each plays their small part in the vast and complex system that powers the industry, unaware of the explosive impact their lives will have upon the world.
Flixster Users
Critics
R, 2 hrs. 3 min.
Directed by:
Stephen Gaghan
Release Date: Nov 23, 2005
DVD Release Date: Jun 20, 2006
Your Rating
Your Friends' Ratings
No recent reviews.
Flixster User Reviews
A complex political thriller. While it is certainly fascinating in its ambiguity, I do find that the film doesn't really know what it's trying to say.
Great movie about some of the unknown in our government and foreign affairs. Clooney very good I thought.
this movie tries hard for that sense of stories coming together that worked so well in crash but somehow falls short - interesting though...
I kinda lost interest at some point. I also thought the little boy dying didn't bring anything at all but free drama.
Other than that, an OK Persian Gulf movie, I'd say...
This thing's all over the place, a disastrous waste of 2 hours. George Clooney said the star of the movie was the script. They'd have been better off casting an autistic, 3-legged billy goat. I wrote a better script when I was 12.
Haven't seen it... was never really interested. Love George Clooney and Matt Damon though.
Lots of intertwining threads come together to tell a fantastic modern story about people in situations bigger than any one of them.
Critic Reviews
It's entirely possible that Gaghan just isn't an actor's director.full review
Didactic and muddled to the point of incoherence.full review
Watch closely and listen carefully during Syriana because Stephen Gaghan's movie is that rarity: a thinking person's drama.full review
Syriana is an ambitious edifice, built with conviction and skill. But I'm not sure I understand it, and I'm not sure I care.full review
Syriana is an endlessly fascinating movie about oil and money, America and China, traders and spies, the Gulf States and Texas, reform and revenge, bribery and betrayal.full review
In some ways, we're the protagonist, and when the strands coalesce in the last hour and we glimpse the bigger picture, Syriana finally eats into the mind.full review
A complex, intriguing narrative about oil, terrorism, money and power.
Thought-provoking and unnerving, emotionally engaging and intellectually stimulating.full review
No dry civics lesson, this fighting-mad film isn't just hot, it's incendiary. And no one gets off the hook. You see it with the exhilarating feeling that a movie can make a difference.full review
Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
All Rotten Tomatoes content is used under license from Rotten Tomatoes. Rotten Tomatoes, Certified Fresh, and the Tomatometer are the trademarks of Incfusion Corporation, d/b/a Rotten Tomatoes, a subsidiary of IGN Entertainment, Inc.
Cast
Bookmark This App
Make it easy to check out new movies! Click +Bookmark Movies at the bottom of your screen.
- Get Flixster
- iPhone (free!)
- Myspace
- Flixster.com
- iGoogle
- Settings
- Profile Settings
- My Account
- Help





















