Syriana, based on the book by Robert Baer - 9.4 out of 10

Syriana, based on the book by Robert Baer

9.4 out of 10

Syriana is an outstanding political drama, winner of the Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role and a Golden Globe for the same category, for the brilliant George Clooney…the film was also nominated for the Oscar and other trophies, for Best Writing.

This is an intricate, complex thriller, that exposes corruption in high stake games, unfair treatment of various international players, the abuses of some of the Arab regimes, the dirty manner in which the oil industry used to operate – perhaps they do not do this anymore – how CIA tries to work with multiple sides in middle Eastern conflicts, the way in which they abandon their own agents when they feel exposed and much more.

It is a fascinating, mesmerizing narrative that errs by being somewhat to the left and giving perhaps too much credit to conspiracy theories that would have all the tyrants of the Middle East in bed with the American administrations, the oil companies and all and sunder are doing everything for the oil, the profits that come out of it and anything else is secondary, if not ultimately irrelevant.

If there are elements of the truth in there, it is still exaggerated and even the Real Politick policy of Bismarck has some limits, in the sense that some time ago, leaders of the free world were very concerned with human rights, democratic values, but now, with the unbearable clown in the White House, the killing of Jamal Khashoggi and other abominations would do nothing to budge a man that is on record speaking about the love he feels for those who stay in his hotels, coming from Saudi Arabia.

George Clooney has the role of Bob Barnes, presumably based on the former real life CIA operative, Robert Baer, whose appearance it seems that Clooney tries  to take, with his beard, and the specialist in the machinations, factions, terrorist groups of the Middle East is trying to meet with Mussawi aka Mark Strong and have him kill Prince Nasir Al-Subaai, the elder son of the emir of the oil state at the center of the plot, who is competing with his younger brother, in the effort to become the emir of the country.

Dean Whiting aka Christopher Plummer meets with the brother and tries to motivate him to become the next leader, and thus overturn the decision to give a plum contract to the Chinese, and he is supported by other major players, including the American government, who does not like the idea of the Chinese entering this sensitive area.

Meanwhile, the son of one oil and energy expert, Bryan Woodman aka Matt Damon, dies at the pool, where the family is invited by the emir, and then the father becomes the advisor of the ‘reforming ‘prince, after they have an initial clash in which the American talks about the 75 million dollars contract as a payment for the death of his son, then destroys the policy of the state which sells dates at a loss, depends too much on oil, which it should pass throw pipelines through Iran and thus double the profit.

With hindsight, now that foolish Trump had denounced the agreement signed with Iran and then has imposed crushing sanctions on that state, which is under embargo, the idea of passing the oil through the state does not seem such a splendid idea anymore, but then, who could predict such a catastrophe of gigantic proportions…a clown in the highest American office.

Because this stupendous movie has simultaneous, intriguing stories taking place at the same time, in one narrative, young people are trained by fundamentalist imams and brainwashed to attack the West, America, after being ‘educated ‘with slogans and lies like ‘the Christians have failed, the state and religion must be one and the same thing’, sharia must be the law of the land.

After pretending in the first place that they are in the same camp, Mussawi sends a team to capture, kidnap Bob Barnes and then he proceeds to torture him, talking about the Chinese methods applied to some of those who see things different – presumably the Uighurs among them – which would have the prisoners faces placed in feces.

This monster nonetheless has a different inclination, and he uses instruments from his panoply to take the nails out of poor, suffering and bleeding CIA agent, who is later denounced by his agency, which pretends he had gone wrong, he had met with Iranian officials – evidently on assignment and for the agency – and he has been surely derailed and he is no longer on the American side.

A major merger of two oil companies is allowed to proceed, given that officials get some help in finding illegal operations that had taken place and the fact that the bigger firm would be better placed to win contracts and manage the fields in the state that is now controlled by Prince Meshal Al-Subaai, preferred by the ailing, old emir, the man who has returned into the fold of the American companies, applauded at the business awards.

For all the rather leftist, conspiracy prone view that marks the script, Syriana is a fabulous drama.