| Overall Grade: |
A- |
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| Story: |
A- |
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| Acting: |
A |
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| Direction: |
B+ |
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| Visuals: |
B+ |
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Slick, Dark & Valuable: kinda like Oil...
by Eric Frost-Barnes (movies profile)
Jun 14, 2008
144
of
191 people found this review helpful
Syriana is an ambitious, smart and occasionally self-important film that, in the end, conveys a powerful (and bleak) messege to its audience. That message is: nothing is black & white, except for the fact that everyone involved in the oil business knows the true value of their business. Syriana teeters at times on becoming preachy, but then reels itself back in. It knows that words like "patriot," "desperation" & "ambition" can belong to all types of people, in all kinds of situations. Even more wisely, Syriana shows that there are some shady, if not down-right sinister groups, within every aspect of the oil business. This is not a film looking to bash on America! This is a film asking why so many people must be used, some with deadly results, at every level in the name of controlling a particularly vital market. As far as the acting goes, Jeffrey Wright, Chris Cooper, Matt Damon and Amanda Peet are stand-outs, though the majority of players are all very good. Syriana is an important film, which will leave you with a better understanding of how our country moves among the complex machine that is the oil business. It can be upsetting, but it is worth the trip. |
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