Syriana (www.the-usher.com)

"It's all connected"

With 90% of the world's supply of oil in the Middle East, the big oil companies are vying for every last drop of the precious black gold. An idealistic Prince (Siddig) is trying to broker the best deal for his people with the help of an up and coming oil broker (Damon). Two of the largest American Oil companies are about to merge and a corporate lawyer (Wright) has to make sure that everything goes through without a hitch and as legally as possible. A CIA agent (Clooney) uncovers that his career has a completely different agenda than he ever thought possible and a young Pakistani teenage oil worker (Munir) becomes falls prey to a persuasive ideal.

Politically charged thrillers are becoming filmmaker's ways of voicing their concerns over current world situations but can 'Syriana' raise your awareness of the problem?

After winning a best screenplay Oscar for 'Traffic', Stephen Gaghan leaves drugs behind to write and direct a thriller about the oil industry and the impact that it has on the world. Adapting the same multi-story approach again, Gaghan skilfully interweaves tales politics, business and social drama into a thought-provoking movie that will have you thinking and asking many questions.

This multi-story arc device allows the writer/director to operate with a very large canvas. Here he can inform the viewer about how the world's dependence on oil effects not just governments and big business but the worker and the countries where it's located. Thrown into the boiling pot is corruption, assassination, propaganda, religion, sovereignty and greed as the political, economic and social implications of this black sludge becomes all the more apparent.

Highlighting the political standpoint are two stories showing the two different countries involved. Firstly we have the story of Prince Nasir Al-Subaai played by the talented actor Alexander Siddig. He is the next inline to the throne of an unnamed Arabic country with large oil deposits for sale to the highest bidder. Knowing that this is a finite natural resource, he is trying to broker the best deal for his people, even if it means risking his future as king and even his life. Running concurrent with this is the plotline of CIA agent Bob Barnes played by totally transformed George Clooney. This overweight, bearded seasoned agent is sent to Lebanon to find out more about the Prince's dealing with the Chinese but soon it becomes apparent that the information he has gathered and the processes he has put in place might not be right.

Bringing the economic issue to light is the story of the merger of two of US biggest oil companies. Both Connex and Killen come together to form one of the largest companies on the planet but it can't all be aboveboard. Bennett Holiday, played by the always-excellent Jeffery Wright, is the man charged with finding a scapegoat to blame for any misdoings but the search for a patsy isn't going to be an easy one.

The social cost of the Oil companies in the Middle East is captured via the story of an out of work oil worker called Wasim Khan, played by young actor Mazhar Munir. He is disenchanted with the way he has been treated and becomes the easy target for fundamentalists who want to target the US oil company exploiting their country and workers.

This mix of stories does give you a very rounded look at the effect oil has on a country and the world in general. The problem is that some of the stories are not as interesting as the rest. While they are all interweaved and connected, the economic and social storylines are simply not as good as the political plot. You end up wanting these stories to hurry along so we can get back to the political intrigue.

'Syriana' is a movie that everyone should watch. It raises issues that are extremely relevant and will stimulate debate and discussion between anyone who watches it. Some of the interweaving storylines are weaker than other but this is still a completely riveting watch and is a film that raises questions and doesn't offer any answers, letting you make your own opinion on this important issue.

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 with Dolby Digital 5.1, the movie is presented well.

BONUS FEATURES

A conversation with George Clooney (9.12 mins)
The Oscar winning star of the movie talks about the geopolitical nature of the film and how it deals with the issues in a similar way to many of these types of movies did in the 70s. Here reveals how the script is the real star of the movie and how the actors got involved in the film because of its strength. He also talks about his career and how he likes to work now, discussing his character and the impact of the film.

Make a change, making a difference (11.20 mins)
Writer/director Stephen Gaghan, consultant Stephen MacSearraegh, author Robert Baer, producer Jennifer Fox, executive producer Jeff Skoll and stars George Clooney, Matt Damon, Jeffrey Wright and Alexander Siddig talk about the story behind 'Syriana' and the real life problems that the film is trying to portray. The filmmakers and stars talk candidly about the world's dependency on oil and our addiction to the black ooze. This is an interesting look at the political and social elements of the movie.

Deleted Scenes (6.03 mins)
Entitled 'Scene #8: Bob, Margaret and Robbie as the caf�', 'Scene #58: Bob and Fred walk and talk' and 'Scene #123: Margaret visits Bob', these deleted scenes suffer from the lack of a commentary or an introduction.

Theatrical Trailer (2.11 mins)
Watch the trailer that previewed the movie in cinemas.

OVERALL

The two featurettes maybe slightly short but they support the film well. It is the lack of a commentary track that is the real disappointment however and fans of the film will be left wanting more. It is the film however that is the main emphasis of the DVD, as it should be.

DVD

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2006