Syriana (2005)
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A complex web of global oil interests and political maneuvering creates a high-stakes landscape of espionage and consequence.
The story
U.S. energy giant Connex Oil faces a crisis as it loses control of key oil fields in a Persian Gulf kingdom ruled by the Al-Subaai family. When the Emirate's foreign minister grants drilling rights to a Chinese company, it sparks a massive upheaval in the U.S. oil industry and government. To counter this, Connex initiates a controversial merger with a smaller company, prompting the involvement of a Washington, D.C.-based law firm to navigate the legal complexities. Meanwhile, a veteran CIA officer becomes entangled in the dangerous reality of Middle Eastern politics, while a group of migrant workers faces a desperate struggle for survival in the face of industrial displacement.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film follows multiple parallel storylines centered on the global oil trade. In the Middle East, Prince Nasir, the Emir's older son, seeks to reform his nation's economy and move away from oil dependency, but his plans are complicated by his father's repressive rule and the influence of American interests. He attempts a coup when his father names his younger brother as successor. Simultaneously, CIA officer Bob Barnes is tasked with assassinating Prince Nasir, a mission that leads to a series of betrayals and a tragic conclusion when a drone strike kills both the prince and Barnes. In the corporate world, lawyers at Whiting-Sloan navigate a murky merger between Connex and Killen, eventually sacrificing individuals to satisfy the Department of Justice. Meanwhile, a desperate migrant worker named Wasim, after being laid off by Connx, joins a radical group and participates in a suicide attack on a tanker. The narrative weaves these lives together, illustrating the human cost of geopolitical maneuvering and the complexities of the global energy market.
- First release year
- 2005
- Runtime (minutes)
- 127
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English; Arabic; Urdu; Persian; Mandarin; French
- Directors
- Stephen Gaghan
- Writers
- Stephen Gaghan · writer
- Genres
- political thriller; drama
- Themes
- oil politics; geopolitics; corporate corruption; espionage
- Tone and mood
- serious; complex; tense
- Premise and plot tags
- political thriller; conspiracy; oil industry; CIA
- Source material / true-story basis
- Robert Baer's 2003 memoir See No Evil
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews, particularly praising George Clooney's performance and the intricate screenplay, though some critics found the multi-narrative structure difficult to follow.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 72% · scale: percentage · review count: 196; Metacritic · score: 76 · scale: 100 · review count: 40
- Production trivia
- The title is a metaphor for foreign intervention in the Middle East.; The film was shot in over 200 locations on four continents.; One storyline involving a Miss USA was cut due to complexity.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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