Movie Review: Syriana
I did like Syriana. I really did. However, what I didn't like was the way it was presented as to fit real-world parellels. There aren't much, I would say (at least, not much that are true).
Gaghan, the writer-director, has made what I see as an interesting political thriller centred upon...oil. Some have criticized it for its despairing outlook on the Middle-East situation. That's quite true- Syriana offers no cure to its diagnosis of the "problems". However, it may be said that the director has served up an exciting "cautionary" tale of where he sees this business might lead.
The film's premise, I think, centres upon the intervention of the U.S. in the Middle East to protect its primary interest (You guessed it)- oil. I don't see it the way as Gaghan does, however. There is little evidence of United States' intervention in the Middle East when it comes to the oil industry. (I obviously do not buy Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 hysterics.)
The story is one that requires patience. Patience to see how the seperate stories of the different characters all come together (only until halfway into the film do we get the idea of how the character's stories may intersect). But it interesting nevertheless. I haven't, by the way, seen Gaghan's Traffic, which I've read is similar in terms of the construction of the story to Syriana.
Brief violence punctuates the film throughout, though there is one particularly gruesome torture scene. This story, anyway, is best told with little guns and explosions. Overall, Gaghan pulls it off quite well.
In any case, you should see it because it is interesting- nevermind its factual accuracy.
Gaghan, the writer-director, has made what I see as an interesting political thriller centred upon...oil. Some have criticized it for its despairing outlook on the Middle-East situation. That's quite true- Syriana offers no cure to its diagnosis of the "problems". However, it may be said that the director has served up an exciting "cautionary" tale of where he sees this business might lead.
The film's premise, I think, centres upon the intervention of the U.S. in the Middle East to protect its primary interest (You guessed it)- oil. I don't see it the way as Gaghan does, however. There is little evidence of United States' intervention in the Middle East when it comes to the oil industry. (I obviously do not buy Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 hysterics.)
The story is one that requires patience. Patience to see how the seperate stories of the different characters all come together (only until halfway into the film do we get the idea of how the character's stories may intersect). But it interesting nevertheless. I haven't, by the way, seen Gaghan's Traffic, which I've read is similar in terms of the construction of the story to Syriana.
Brief violence punctuates the film throughout, though there is one particularly gruesome torture scene. This story, anyway, is best told with little guns and explosions. Overall, Gaghan pulls it off quite well.
In any case, you should see it because it is interesting- nevermind its factual accuracy.
This entry was posted
on Thursday, January 26, 2006 at 12:43 PM.
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