Syriana (Gaghan, 2005)

Syriana is the most disappointing film of the past year. Despite its efforts to connect the dots between corrupt oilmen, shady politicians, poverty in the Middle East, war and terrorism, the film's script and its propensity for favoring statistics over insight kill any chance the film has to make any sort of lasting impression. The film offers copious amounts of intrigue, but it is not terribly intriguing. Even the good monologues stink of screenwriter showiness and for the first hour it seems like Gaghan is trying to set a world record by setting the film in EVERY CITY IN THE KNOWN WORLD. If you were able sift through all of this, pay attention and get anything valuable out of it, then my hat is off to you. Personally, I left the film irritated and frustrated by the feeling that the world is in the hands of madmen and villains and there's nothing that I will ever be able to do about it.

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