Syriana ★★★★
LABYRINTHIAN is a term thrown around to describe a multi-layered story that becomes increasingly complex.
While not always apt, it is a perfect description of Stephen Gaghan’s 2005 thriller Syriana which examines the murky world of international economics and geo-politics.
If that sounds a little boring, nothing could be further from the truth as Gaghan weaves together multiple, parralel stories of arms dealing, corporate espionage, government corruption and personal tragedy, all centred around the international oil and gas business.
The film is loosely based on Robert Baer’s 2003 memoir ‘See No Evil’ which was adapted by Gaghan after he and Baer conducted a further range of detailed interviews with real-life government officials, security operatives, business analysts, oil and gas industry figures and even Middle East terror organisations.
Like Gaghan’s script for 2000’s Traffic, several stories are presented in parallel and drawn together for the final act. In this case, Syriana was shot in more than 100 separate locations on several continents and features a formidable cast and excellent performances across the board.
Story thread number one centres on the weapons trade with George Clooney in one of his best roles as a CIA operative seeking to track down a rogue shipment into the Middle East while also navigating the internal political blame game in Washington.
In story number two Jeffrey Wright is an investigator with a law firm hired by a giant American oil company to deflect a Department of Justice investigation into the company’s merger with a smaller company that unexpectedly won drilling rights to a major field in Kazakhstan.
Matt Damon plays the lead character in the third story, an economics analyst who becomes a senior advisor to a rich Saudi oil family following a personal tragedy.
And in story thread number four, two illegal Pakistani migrant workers are laid off by an oil company and turn to Islamic fundamentalism with devastating outcomes.
Also doing great work in the list of more than 100 speaking parts are the likes of Christopher Plummer. Chris Cooper, William Hurt and Mark Strong.
Gaghan and his technical team don’t waste a moment in delivering a propulsive narrative at pace that defies the fact much of the film is about people having serious discussions regardless of the life-threatening impacts that may result to individuals, communities, governments and even entire countries.
Some may complain that the film is too complicated; but make the effort to fully immerse yourself and you will be well rewarded.
Watched on a plane.