Syriana

The movie Syriana was a disappointment. I do credit them though, in trying to address the harsh realities that have become the tug of war in the oil rich regions and the powerful states looking to line their pockets with cash in exchange for a certain degree of access and rights in distribution of this natural resource. For the first time in a long time, I actually observed people walk out of a theatre midway through a movie. This, perhaps an indicator of the inconsistencies within the movie’s plotlines or interwoven storylines within the movie creating, for lack of a better description a spaghetti weave of storyline upon storyline. What, one might ask midway through, Matt Damon’s character in this movie, a partner at a Swedish investment firm, has in relation to Clooney’s character, a CIA agent with a history in the middle east who runs covert operations for his superiors in Washington? The answer is right at the end but the plot takes too long to unfold and has too many characters with significant roles to play within the plotlines. I’m hoping Spielberg’s ‘Munich’ slated to premier December 23rd does not have the same inconsistencies within it. Initial reviews have lavished nothing but praise on this movie some heralding it as relevant enough to address the underlying issues and interesting enough to keep movie goers glued to their seats for the entire time.