" Corruption is our protection. Corruption is what keeps us safe and warm. Corruption is why you and I are prancing around here instead of fighting each other for scraps of meat out in the streets. Corruption is why we win. " "Syriana" written and directed by Stephen Gaghan, the writer of Steven Sodebergh's "Traffic", is a serious study of the effects, influences and consequences of the United States need for oil and the extents to which it will go to obtain that oil. It's pretty clear from the outset that this is a very politically charged movie - whether or not it hits the mark is another question, but it certainly raises questions that should be asked. "Syriana" is inspired by the novel See No Evil, written by ex-CIA agent Robert Baer, about his real life experiences over twenty years working in the Middle East, but "Traffic" is obviously also an inspiration for this movie in a number of ways - it's a similarly multithreaded story with an ensemble cast, and almost unremittingly serious subject matter. Characters in "Syriana" all have roles within the structure of the story, but the characters themselves are a little shallow, unfortunately. Cut and dried villains and heroes abound, with the only particularly nuanced character played, rather well, by George Clooney. Plot threads followed include investigation into a merger of oil companies, CIA interest in the succession to the throne of a particular Middle Eastern country, and a boy and his father who've lost their jobs working for one of the oil companies. The story of the boy is particularly engaging, giving an interesting (if most likely a little shallow and overly simplified) perspective on the development of Muslim extremism. The movie unfolds at a deliberate pace, but it's forgivable considering the scope of the various stories, and it does manage to hold the viewer's interest, as the story isn't entirely predictable - perhaps the ultimate outcome is, given the way the world works, but it's certainly unpredictable from scene to scene. "Syriana" is definitely worth seeing, if only because it might serve to get the viewer to find out the facts behind what's going on in the world around them and start to form their own opinions, rather than merely accepting what they're told in the media. Yes, that means there's no nude scenes, no fart gags, not too many one liners, and only a couple of explosions. "Syriana" is still playing in some US theatres, and is slated for DVD release April 25, 2006.

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Copyright © 2006 Christopher Coleman