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Christopher Plummer is impressive as Dean Whiting, but exactly who is this guy, anyway?

Still, what are we to take from the film? The ultimate point seems to be that corruption exists in the international business world, to which the majority of us can answer with a resounding, "Duh." (One look at the prices at the gas pump would seem to confirm that.) Syriana doesn't really offer clear-cut solutions, but in a way, that's appreciated. Like the drug dilemma presented in Traffic, this movie presents a serious problem and gives viewers a lot to consider, but ultimately it's left shrugging, unsure of what to suggest. And that's okay—the point of the film is to give viewers a lot to consider, and not to solve the world oil crisis.

Taken in proper perspective, Syriana is often engrossing and well acted. Though the story structure is complex, it's not much different than reading a Tom Clancy novel or following a complicated TV series like 24. Part of the film's enjoyment and education is seeing how these stories intertwine, both for dramatic purposes and because the world is similarly complex.

With that said, it's a shame that Gaghan fumbles the storytelling. It's all well and good to throw the audience into the deep end, putting viewers in over their heads just like the people depicted in the film. The problem is that Gaghan's exposition doesn't even bother trying to establish characters, and as the confusion compounds, it becomes harder to discern or care about the intricacies of the plot.

Ultimately, the film is not as politically explosive as some mainstream critics are making it out to be

Take Jimmy Pope (Chris Cooper) and Danny Dalton (Tim Blake Nelson) as an example. Their characters are never properly introduced, though eventually, you figure out that Pope is probably the head of Killen, the smaller oil company. Is Dalton his associate, or Killen's legal representative, or for that matter, is he with Conex? It's never firmly established, and even though his is a minor character, glossing over such a detail diminishes his Machiavellian speech about the need for corruption in international business.

Likewise, Christopher Plummer is impressive in his role as Dean Whiting, but it's never clear whether he's a politician, a lawyer, or some other form of powerful Washington insider. Since his role is central to more than one subplot, it would have helped to discern who he is exactly. And since the confusion only builds from the poor exposition, it's hard to understand Barnes' rationale for his role in the climax of the film.

A shame then that this movie carries such potential to be one of the year's best, when it falls short because Gaghan tries too hard to streamline the story and make it unconventional. The result is a movie that causes more confusion than controversy, when really its primary objective should be to communicate effectively. Syriana is nevertheless interesting and worth watching, despite the fact that complete comprehension of the film seems just beyond the reach of the viewer.

Talk About It

1. What's your opinion on the world's oil crisis? Can it be solved through diplomacy among nations? Economic policy? Scientific development? Some combination of all these things? Will the world have to rely on other sources of fuel to carry on?
   
   
2. What motivates the film's central characters? Is it power and greed, or some other sense of responsibility? Do you feel these characters and organizations accurately reflect people of similar position in the world today?
   
   
3. What do you make of Wasim's character? Was he misguided, or did he simply act out of desperation? In what other ways do youth become disillusioned and fall prey to false teachings? How are such people saved from such desperate acts?
   
   

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