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| Syriana (Widescreen Edition) |
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List Price: $28.98
Buy New: $10.75
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (based on 119 reviews)
Sales Rank: 1
Category: DVD
Director: Stephen Gaghan
Publisher: Warner Home Video
Studio: Warner Home Video
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
Label: Warner Home Video
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD
Running Time: 128 minutes
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.6
UPC: 012569807723
EAN: 0012569807723
ASIN: B000F7CMRM
Release Date: June 20, 2006 (New: This Week)
Theatrical Release Date: December 9, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Syriana is an oil-based soap opera set against the world of global oil cartels. It is to the oil industry as Traffic was to the drug trade (no surprise, since writer/director Stephen Gaghan wrote the screenplay to Traffic): a sprawling attempt to portray the vast political, business, social, and personal implications of a societal addiction, in this case, oil. A major merger between two of the worlds largest oil companies reveals ethical dilemmas for the lawyer charged with making the deal (Jeffrey Wright), and major global implications beyond the obvious; a CIA operative (George Clooney) discovers the truth about his work, and the people he works for; a young oil broker (Matt Damon) encounters personal tragedy, then partners with an idealistic Gulf prince (Alexander Siddig) attempting to build a new economy for his people, only to find hes opposed by powers far beyond his control. Meanwhile, disenfranchised Pakistani youths are lured into terrorism by a radical Islamic cleric. And thats just the start. As in Traffic, in one way or another all of the characters fates are tied to each other, whether they realize it or not, though the connections are sometimes tenuous. While Syriana is basically a good film with timely resonance, it cant quite seem to measure up to Gaghans ambitious vision and it very nearly collapses under the weight of its many storylines. Fortunately they are resolved skillfully enough to keep the film from going under in the end. To some viewers, Syriana will seem like an unfocused and over-loaded film that goes, all at once, everywhere and nowhere. Others will find it to be an important work earnestly exploring major issues. In either case, its a film that deserves to be taken seriously, and its likely to be one that will be talked about for a long time to come. --Dan Vancini
Beyond Syriana
The soundtrack |
More from Participant Productions |
Why We Love Jeffrey Wright |
Starring George Clooney |
Oscar Central |
See No Evil: The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA's War on Terrorism
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Stills from Syriana (click for larger image)
Description
Big oil means big money. Very big money. And that fact unleashes corruption that stretches from Houston to Washington to the Mideast and ensnares industrialists, princes, spies, politicos, oilfield laborers and terrorists in a deadly, deceptive web of move and countermove. This lightning-paced, whip-smart action thriller grips your mind and nerves with an intensity that doesn't let go for an instant.
DVD Features:
Additional Scenes
Featurette:Make a Change, Make a Difference
Interviews:Conversation with George Clooney
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Customer Reviews: Read 114 more reviews...
 Syriana (2005) June 21, 2006
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Director: Stephen Gaghan
Cast: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Jeffrey Wright, Chris Cooper, William Hurt, Alexander Siddig, Amanda Peet, Christopher Plummer, Tim Blake Nelson, Mark Strong.
Running Time: 127 minutes
Rated R for violence and language.
"Syriana" is an inflammatory, confusing, intelligent, emotional, and ultimately important work by the writer of "Traffic". That film wove together four story lines with four different protagonists on different sides of America's "War on Drugs". This film acts similarly, weaving together the lives of four men as they navigate the consequences that come about as Western interests stake their claims on the world's ever-dwindling supply of Oil in the Middle East. "Traffic" negotiated its complicated story (which took place in the U.S. and Mexico) by walking clear and understandable moral lines to American audiences: drugs are a terrible evil, but family and loyalty are the ultimate good, and the two poles are not necessarily mutually exclusive. "Syriana" is morally hazier than "Traffic", and plays sort of like the next class up in Big Idea screen writing - "Traffic" is the prerequisite, and if you could follow it no problem, you're probably smart enough for "Syriana". Bob Barnes (George Clooney), a world-worn CIA agent adept at getting his hands dirty in fun locations like Tehran and Beirut, is the first of the four (for lack of a better word) protagonists. Thought to be a liability by his superiors, he's given one last assignment, to arrange the assassination of Prince Nasr (Alexander Siddig), a royal from an unnamed Arab Emirate who awarded an oil contract to the Chinese after they outbid an American company. Bryan Woodman (Matt Damon) is an energy analyst who becomes the economic adviser to Nasr following the tragic death of Woodman's son at the Prince's estate. Meanwhile, back in the U.S., Bennett Holiday (Jeffrey Wright), an attorney for Connex Oil, investigates his superiors in order to get a merger with another company, Killen Oil, approved by the Department of Justice. And, back in the Emirate, a young Pakistani man named Wasim Khan (Mazhar Munir) loses his job at the Connex plant when the Chinese take over, and from his economic hardship becomes seduced into radical Islamic fundamentalism. All of these stories intersect each other as each of these men must make decisions to do the Right thing, or do the most Advantageous thing, in what one character calls "a fight to the death." Ultimately, though, the film has a dark and upsetting message: that it is in the West's business interests not to ignore the hardship and chaos in the Middle East, but to encourage it.
Ensemble films often come with their own trouble: not having one single character provides the danger of painting everything with a broad brush. Gaghan twists this by providing all the characters with a moral ambiguity that is at the heart of this film's politics. The scenes between Woodman and his wife Julie (Amanda Peet), as she is horrified at how he is profiting off of the death of their son, are painful and glorious at the same time. The quiet way that Holiday is taken into one-on-one conversations and back rooms and corners by members of the Connex and Killen corporations, each trying to shape the quiet man, complicates what ultimately happens with the merger. Barnes seems to constantly be at war within himself, about whether he's weary of feeling bad for the things he's doing, or just weary of doing the only thing he knows how. The film is also helped by a theme of the disconnect between fathers and sons, reminding me that the best films about business are those in which the young go-getter seeks out another paterfamilias in a world of money when the one at home wasn't sufficient (think "Wall Street"). The performances are all very strong. Clooney put on 35 lbs for the film, and hiding behind the weight and the beard allows him to almost hide inside himself, a man who had to literally build a thick skin as he realized how few people could understand the world he lives in. Damon is also strong, playing a character with enough seething energy that, in the hands of another actor, might have come off like a bland everyman or an overplayed twit. Wright and Munir allow themselves a quiet, smart observation--you believe their transformations not because the people around them are charismatic (which they are), but because you can see them being filled up by the new worlds they are entering. There is also fine supporting work, possibly the best coming from Siddig as Prince Nasr, a charismatic leader and tragic hero of the film, and Chris Cooper, the head of Killen Oil, who tears around a Board of Directors meeting reminding everyone why he's the only one in the room who doesn't have to wear an uncomfortable-looking suit.
The real central performance, however, is the politics, ideas, and information in the film. At times, the plot points can be a bit confusing as we discover the intricacies of what is going on. This is a good idea, however, because it forces the audience to pay attention to what is going on, allowing them to better absorb the complexities of Oil policy. This film provides an interesting template for films that want to take on complex subjects that affect the whole world. It doesn't just tell interesting stories but opens the audience up to the idea that the world doesn't work in black and white (as it often does in the movies), people do bad things in the "Real World", but not always for bad reasons, and people do good things, and the world can be left off in worse shape. With this moral ambiguity and the specificity of the politics and situations, "Syriana" is one of the smartest films to hit the big screen in years. Hollywood should be making more films like this.
 It's all about the oil... June 21, 2006
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
Picture this: a multi-national merger of two giant American oil companies; an oil producing Arab nation that needs to cut a deal to ensure its survival in the global marketplace; a hot shot energy analyst who is in it for the money; a washed up CIA agent on one last mission, and an impoverished Pakistani oil worker who is told he no longer has a job.
These are just some of the scenarios playing out in writer/director Stephen Gaghan's incendiary Syriana, a fierce meditation on the marriage of geo-politics, business, oil and money. The plot is complicated and occasionally confuses, and the film is often overly didactic, abstract and muddled - sometimes to the point of incoherence - but with all its faults, Syriana really manages to convince you that this is how global power really works.
The announcement that an oil-rich, but struggling, emirate in the Persian Gulf has transferred drilling rights from Connex, a giant Texas firm, to the higher-bidding People's Republic of China sets of a firestorm throughout the global reigns of power. A number of people are instantly affected, all at different ends of the geopolitical spectrum. Connex owner Jimmy Pope (Chris Cooper) decides to merge with a smaller company called Killen to offset the merger.
Killen has acquired the drilling rights to a rich field in Kazakhstan. But the American Justice Department lead by Dean Whiting (Christopher Plummer) are suspect and employ Bennett Holiday (Jeffrey Wright), a smooth, controlled Washington lawyer to watch over the union.
Meanwhile, Bryan Woodman (Matt Damon), an energy analyst who lives with his wife, Julie (Amanda Peet) and their two sons in posh Geneva, suddenly finds himself becoming an advisor to the idealistic, sophisticated Prince Nasir (Alexander Siddig). Bryan is after Nasir to build a pipeline through Iran and export his oil to Europe because there's big money to be made and Bryan is convinced it will benefit the Emirate.
Wasim Kahn (Mazhar Munir) is a poor Pakistani oil field worker employed by Connex in the Emirate who loses his job when the firm loses those drilling rights to the Chinese. He finds solace in one of the many madras's that are springing up around the country and is eventually invited to join an elite group for training as a suicide bomber.
And then there's veteran CIA field operative Bob Barnes (George Clooney), a used and beaten down intelligence agent who speaks Arabic and Farsi and is always involved in insalubrious clandestine operations. Barnes gets drawn into what is happening in the Emirate and his life is placed in danger.
Although these characters never formerly meet, yet they are linked in totally logical ways as Gaghan morphs together the issues of big business, oil and terrorism. This movie won't be for everyone, the narrative is terribly conceptual and opaque with much of the dialogue consisting of furtive double-speak - suddenly we are dropped right into the middle of situations, enter rooms after the action has started, and hear conversations that have already begun, and the film is edited in such a way that characters drift in and out of the story at a moments notice.
Perhaps the best option is to enjoy the film's individual dramatic elements as they whiz by and hope that it all gels in the end, which in many respects it does. Of course George Clooney one the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for playing Bob, and it was well deserved too, but the performances in Syriana really do play second fiddle to the issues and this incredible sense that there's some kind of underhanded conspiracy going on that we as average citizens have little control over.
In the end, the movie challenges us to be a type of fly on the wall, witnessing America's controversial foreign policy as all the shady power brokers from the government to big business direct and deal, and gradually pull the strings that control the flow of oil and money backwards and forwards from the Middle East to the West. Mike Leonard June 06.
Politics and oil are the new religion in "Syriana" June 21, 2006
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
Politics and film have the same relationship that a john has with a favorite hooker; no matter how many times the john denies that he'll go back to see him/her and that the relationship means anything it means everything in reality. Even films that are pure entertainment always have some sort of political undercurrent. The filmmaker's job is to make sure that the undertow doesn't drag the drama underneath the waves of politics and drown the drama otherwise it becomes a waterlogged political corpse--it has a lot to say but no one can hear it and less they have the patience (or its their job) to do so. Writer/director Stephen Gaghan ("Traffic") jumps right into the political water and it's fascinating to watch his film "Syriana" swim without being drowned. Not only is there tension in watching him swim these perilous waters (will the drama drown? Will we like it? Will the drama kill the message, confuse it?) but there's the expected dramatic tension as you try and figure out this labyrinth like tale of oil, spying, politics but, most importantly, the people caught in this web. Gaghan doesn't allow the viewer an easy way out--scenes aren't earmarked with titles telling you what's going on or spelling out relationships like in the real world we have to figure out the complex relationships, motivations and the drama that moves it on our own. I say all of this because if you don't like dramas with conclusions laid out on a silver platter with simple conflicts and characters that are black and white you won't like "Syriana".
"Syriana" is like a religious triptych illustration--clearly broken into three separate sections but all that are interconnected replacing religion with the new religion the politics of oil. George Clooney (who won an Oscar for his role) plays Bob Barnes a CIA operative working undercover as an arms smuggler in the Middle East trying to uncover plots against our government, taking out the bad guys all without drawing too much suspicion to himself. Barnes is conflicted and literally coming apart at the seams much like a John Le Carre character--he's not the spy who came out of the cold but one that has been locked out and invited in only long enough to prevent emotional frostbite from destroying his mind. He's coasting though as he's jaded and burned out. Bryan Woodman (Matt Damon) represents a potential Emir (Alexander Siddig, "Deep Space Nine" and "The Kingdom of Heaven") who is jostling for political power within his kingdom and trying to cut the right deal for oil rights that might save his land and enrich his family at the same time. Corporate lawyer Bennett Holiday (Jeffrey Wright) represents the interests of an oil company trying to navigate the shark infested waters of a merger while dealing with his drug addled brother. There's a forth part of the story that ties into Clooney's involving Muslim youths training to be terrorists but it isn't given as much screen time as the other trio of stories and as such can be seen as part of Clooney's as his fate is ultimately and tragically tied into that of the terrorists.
This DVD looks marvelous. The washed out look of the film is intentional. Cinemattographer Robert Elswit uses his jumpy handheld camera work to sell the quasi-documentary feel of the film. The colors are solid as are the blacks and fit into the color scheme of the film. I didn't detect any digital blemishes that are worthwhile noting. Contrast is terrific whether it be in the blinding white desert or the dark streets of Washington D.C. and detail is crisp throughout the film. Gaghan doesn't overwhelm the audience with activity in the 5.1 soundtrack reserving the format for dramatic effect such as an unexpected bomb blast or torture scene (and there is a quite graphic one involving Clooney).
The extras are a bit of a let down unless you get the Best Buy edition of the film. We don't get a commentary track (perhaps Gaghan felt it would be explaining too much) but we do get a 10 minute interview with George Clooney, three deleted scenes playable together, a political charge featurette "Make A Change, Make A Difference" that sells the political agenda of the film far more explicitly than the film itself and a theatrical trailer.
I have the feeling that a double dip will be down the line only because retailer Best Buy is offering a second exclusive disc with content that includes a discussion with a real CIA operative discussing the film. To be fair to Warner usually this studio isn't well known for doing double dips as often or thoughtlessly as other studios so don't know any of this for a fact. Usually these bonus discs end up as part of material for later more elaborate sets. I can't confirm this at this film but it feels right particularly after Lion's Gate's "Crash" re-release. The "Best Buy" extra disc has a 30 minute documentary with the writer/director discussing the making of the film and how he researched it as well as how he worked with the author of the book to do his research by visting the places and people that he portrayed. There's also a 20 minute interview with Matt Damon included as well.
This is a dense, elaborate political thriller "Syriana" doesn't exactly paint stereotypical pictures of bad guys and good guys. Instead we have a world of grays where oil and the pursuit of political power are more the villains (along with the things that people are willing to do to achieve their ends). Tense and filled with marvelous performances "Syriana" isn't for everyone but it's still a powerful drama filled with the dark political overtones of our time. "Syriana" packs quite a lot of story into its 128 minute running time. You'll either walk away unsettled, feeling vindicated given the current state of our own oil crisis or mad at the political point-of-view of the film. You won't coming away feeling indifferent. Perplexed at the multiple storylines that seem to randomly zigzag without a possible intersection point but definitely impressed with some element of the film whether it be the technical aspect or the drama.
 In the trash like Crash June 21, 2006
3 out of 19 found this review helpful
I have rarely been as bored and confused as I was while watching Syriana. Don't give me that stuff about the non-linear approach of this movie and Arash. What it all boils down to is seeing good actors giving solid performances within a context of nothing.
Convoluted Plot Requires Close Attention June 21, 2006
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Many other reviewers have pointed out, ad nauseam, that this film is confusing, challenging, and difficult. True. But this is intentional. While the viewer is struggling to figure out what the hell is going on, the characters are likewise scratching their heads, trying to figure out what the hell is goin on---with one exception:
The oil executives.
As the film makes clear above all else, the entire world is sinking into the quagmire that the oil companies have built for us.
It's like those bumper stickers: "If you're not completely outraged, you haven't been paying attention." SYRIANA asks you, begs you, to pay attention, to become outraged, to run to your window and scream, "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this any more!"
Those who approach this film with apathy probably, with the same apathy, fill up their Hummers with $3 a gallon gas. It's their right, sure, but for those of us who DO care, who ARE paying attention---it's time to get outraged. Watch SYRIANA for starters.
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Copyright Runningonkarma.com 2006
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