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DVD Syriana (Widescreen Edition)
Syriana is an oil-based soap opera set against the world of global oil cartels. It is to the oil industry as Traffic was to the drug trade (no surprise, since writer/director Stephen Gaghan wrote the screenplay to Traffic): a sprawling attempt to portray the vast political, business, social, and personal implications of a societal addiction, in this case, oil. A major merger between two of the world’s largest oil companies reveals ethical dilemmas for the lawyer charged with making the deal (Jeffrey Wright), and major global implications beyond the obvious; a CIA operative (George Clooney) discovers the truth about his work, and the people he works for; a young oil broker (Matt Damon) encounters personal tragedy, then partners with an idealistic Gulf prince (Alexander Siddig) attempting to build a new economy for his people, only to find he’s opposed by powers far beyond his control. Meanwhile, disenfranchised Pakistani youths are lured into terrorism by a radical Islamic cleric. And that’s just the start. As in Traffic, in one way or another all of the characters’ fates are tied to each other, whether they realize it or not, though the connections are sometimes tenuous. While Syriana is basically a good film with timely resonance, it can’t quite seem to measure up to Gaghan’s ambitious vision and it very nearly collapses under the weight of its many storylines. Fortunately they are resolved skillfully enough to keep the film from going under in the end. To some viewers, Syriana will seem like an unfocused and over-loaded film that goes, all at once, everywhere and nowhere. Others will find it to be an important work earnestly exploring major issues. In either case, it’s a film that deserves to be taken seriously, and it’s likely to be one that will be talked about for a long time to come. --Dan Vancini
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ummm ok if someone could explain the plot to me i would enjoy this movie. actors are great everything is fine just what is this piece of trash about? where is the plot where is the story? in writting before you do anything you have to develp the plot and the storyline otherwise you have nothing. someone needs to teach the writer of this movie how to write and ok you can make people confused but at least explain it a litttle or leave them confused but at least have some reason why we are confused. this movie is just confuseing because theres no plot no reason for anything in this movie to happen. Matt Damons kid dies why? Groege Cloney gets kidnapped by terrorists why? things happen here but why? the story is suppose to serve the plot but here there is no plot so we just have a bunch of stories(5 of them) that make absolutley no sense at all.
Syriana helps us understand the causes of the conflicts, but what will bring more hope for the future?
A common criticism reviewers have made of this movie is that the plot is either too hard to follow or it does not make sense. Not all storytelling is designed to have a linear, easy to understand plot. The plot was complex, but not impossible to follow. This movie is also an exercise in giving us glimpses of worlds that are more complex than we probably initially understand. And the movie asks: How should we respond to things that are both foreign and violent to us?
The movie reminds us there are real, violent wars going on throughout the world right now. It does not benefit a person to pretend they are not going on. But as individuals, we can choose how to "fight" in these conflicts. We can, as the characters in this film, channel 'good intentions' into violence, misinformation, boundaries, and silence in order to promote our positions. Or we can, as the filmmakers and actors in this film, use sharing information, artistic expression, & filmmaking to illustrate the problems created by violence, misinformation, boundaries and silence.
"You're a good man . . . your entire career you've been used. And probably never even known what for," Christopher Plummer's character says to George Clooney's character, a CIA soldier.
There is a scene in this movie where a car drives through a Beirut suburb. It shows gunmen posted on rooftops every few blocks. It's important to remember that as boundaries grow, more men are needed to "guard" those boundaries. Guards have little time to use their creative skills or craft solutions. To enable real, long term solutions, we need innovative ideas & non-discriminatory policies that encourage mechanical and social engineers, and lessen the need for boundaries and security guards.
For all the movie's plot complexity, it's moral message focuses primarily on the problem side of the equation, suggesting that the pursuit and control of oil makes us bad. To avoid conceding we need oil is probably as misguided as avoiding conceding there are constant battles being fought to control it. What the movie does not do well is to show workable diplomatic, governmental, systemic, and alternate energy suggestions for solving the problems inherent in any competition for a limited resource. We need more than Matt Damon drawing the shortest distance between 2 points in the sand, and the prince monologuing about what he'd like to do, but hypocritically does not do.
A key to bringing peace out of any conflict is to remove the scarcity by creating alternate energy sources, improving sharing efficiencies, or reducing consumption. We need brilliant filmmakers, economists, social scientists, and engineers to take the next steps and suggest practical energy solutions. In the long run, that will do far more towards creating world peace than old policies that call for more gunmen standing around. I'd like to see an equally good film on that side of the problem solving equation. It would be a more difficult film to make than a film that mainly explains the causes of the problems, but it would be a worthwhile film to make.
Beauty, reality and sporadic chaos...
This movie is exceptional in its portrayal of the beauty, reality and sporadic chaos of the Middle East. And it's not the first movie to deal with western corruption! Amazon reviews are an open forum but I'm still bemused by the politically motivated reviews to be found here.
If you can't accept the reality that large corporations and governments heavily influence the region, then don't watch this movie.
I predict that this movie will stand the test of time.
At its core, Munich is a straightforward thriller. Based on the book Vengeance: The True Story of an Israeli Counter-Terrorist Team by George Jonas, it’s built on a relatively stock movie premise, the revenge plot: innocent people are killed, the bad guys got away with it, and someone has to make them pay. But director Steven Spielberg uses that as a starting point to delve into complex ethical questions about the cyclic nature of revenge and the moral price of violence. The movie starts with a rush. The opening portrays the kidnapping and murder of Israeli athletes by PLO terrorists at the 1972 Olympics with scenes as heart-stopping and terrifying as the best of any horror movie. After the tragic incident is over and several of the terrorists have gone free, the... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Steven Spielberg DVD Release Date: Released the 09 May 2006 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Without force-feeding its timely message, Good Night, and Good Luck illuminates history to enlighten our present, when the need for a free and independent press is more important than ever. In 90 breathtaking minutes of efficient and intricate storytelling, writer-director George Clooney and cowriter Grant Heslov pay honorable tribute to the journalistic integrity of legendary CBS newscaster Edward R. Murrow,
Director George Clooney
who confronted the virulent and overzealous anti-Communist witch-hunting of Wisconsin Sen. Joseph McCarthy in 1953-54, and emerged as a... More Info about this DVD DVD Release Date: Released the 14 March 2006 Usually ships in 24 hours
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