Syriana (2005)

Director:

Stephen Gaghan

Writers (WGA):

Robert Baer (book) (suggestion)
Stephen Gaghan (written by)

Release Date:

9 December 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Everything is connected

Plot:

A politically-charged epic about the state of the oil industry in the hands of those personally involved and affected by it.

Plot Keywords:

Prince | Satellite Camera | Immigrant | Secret Informant | Oil Field

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 5 wins & 16 nominations

Cast

Kayvan Novak	...	Arash
George Clooney	...	Bob Barnes
Amr Waked	...	Mohammed Sheik Agiza
Christopher Plummer	...	Dean Whiting
Jeffrey Wright	...	Bennett Holiday
Chris Cooper	...	Jimmy Pope
Robert Foxworth	...	Tommy Barton
Nicky Henson	...	Sydney Hewitt
Nicholas Art	...	Riley Woodman
Matt Damon	...	Bryan Woodman
Amanda Peet	...	Julie Woodman
Steven Hinkle	...	Max Woodman
Daisy Tormé	...	Rebecca
Peter Gerety	...	Leland "Lee" Janus
Richard Lintern	...	Bryan's Boss

Also Known As:

See No Evil (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language.

Runtime:

126 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Urdu | Arabic | Persian | French | Mandarin

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Sweden:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Germany:12 | South Korea:15 | Iceland:16 | Australia:MA | India:UA | New Zealand:R16 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Ireland:15A | Norway:15 | Philippines:R-13 | Hungary:16 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:18 | Malaysia:U | France:U | Netherlands:16 | UK:15 | Finland:K-15 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Argentina:16 | Brazil:14 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Annapolis, Maryland, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Syriana is a term used by Washington think-tanks to describe a hypothetical re-shaping of the Middle East.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Bob returns to Syriana to warn Prince Nasir of the international plot against him, the sign Dubai International Airport, in black writing on a white background, is partially visible on a walkway from the terminal to a waiting plane.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Arash: Bobby, where have you been?

Movie Connections:

References "Seinfeld" (1990)

Soundtrack:

Chinatown

A political slap in the face reality check

I walked out of this movie feeling pretty depressed. As a historian, I always knew there have been forces at work in our society that act against the best interest of the average citizen. This film does an excellent job of illustrating just how politics and big business conspire to preserve the status quo which also protects their power and profits. The global interaction depicted in this film shows how all actions have consequences. The thirst our nation has for oil drives the kind of political and business policies that cause anger and hatred towards our nation. This oil addiction has led to an unjust war that was started on lies and disinformation. The result has been the deaths of over 2000 US servicemen and women, thousands more injured and tens of thousands Iraqi dead and wounded. This act has been the best tool Islamic terrorist groups have ever had in attracting followers and money to their cause. Those that attack this film obviously buy into the fantasy that America is involved in Iraq and the Middle East due to our sincere desire to spread "democracy." Anyone who is willing to have an open mind will find this film to be chilling for the implications of the storyline. This film is a must see for those who care about how the behavior of our government and big business impacts us in our everyday lives and how it will contribute to further terrorist attacks for decades to come. A well researched story with excellent actors for the numerous roles. I will buy this as soon as it comes out on DVD.