Syriana Poster
76
metacriticBased on 40 Critics
78
Based on 369 Users

Release Date: December 9th, 2005

DVD Release Date: June 20th, 2006

R|2 hr 8 min

Plot Summary
The Middle Eastern oil industry is the backdrop of this tense drama, which weaves together numerous story lines. Bennett Holiday (Jeffrey Wright) is an American lawyer in charge of facilitating a dubious merger of oil companies, while Bryan Woodman (Matt Damon), a Switzerland-based energy analyst, experiences both personal tragedy and opportunity during a visit with Arabian royalty. Meanwhile, veteran CIA agent Bob Barnes (George Clooney) uncovers an assassination plot with unsettling origins.

Cast: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Jeffrey Wright, Amanda Peet, Chris Cooper, Tim Blake Nelson, Heather Chase, Susan Allenback

Director: Stephen Gaghan

Genres: Thriller, Drama

Production Co: Warner Brothers

Distributors: Warner Bros.

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Ratings & Reviews

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  • 100
    Carrie RickeyPhiladelphia Inquirer

    For two hours I felt like a kitten chasing an elusive ball of catnip that remained just beyond my paw. show more

  • 70
    Joe MorgensternWall Street Journal

    The film itself operates on shifting sands. Shot documentary-style, by Robert Elswit, and accompanied by a pounding soundtrack, Syriana makes high-octane melodrama look like revealed truth.

  • 50
    Kirk HoneycuttThe Hollywood Reporter

    The character and geographical jumps leave you in a muddle with thinly sketched personalities and confusing plot points. Worse, dialogue dense with nuance and shaded meaning flies by too quickly. show more

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