Short description
From writer/director Stephen Gaghan, winner of the Best Screenplay Academy Award for Traffic, comes Syriana, a political thriller that unfolds against the intrigue of the global oil industry. From the players brokering back-room deals in Washington to the men toiling in the oil fields of the Persian Gulf, the film's multiple storylines weave together to illuminate the human consequences of the fierce pursuit of wealth and power. As a career CIA operative (George Clooney) begins to uncover the disturbing truth about the work he has devoted his life to, an up-and-coming oil broker (Matt Damon) faces an unimaginable family tragedy and finds redemption in his partnership with an idealistic Gulf prince (Alexander Siddig). A corporate lawyer (Jeffrey Wright) faces a moral dilemma as he finesses the questionable merger of two powerful U.S. oil companies, while across the globe, a disenfranchised Pakistani teenager (Mazhar Munir) falls prey to the recruiting efforts of a charismatic cleric. Each plays their small part in the vast and complex system that powers the industry, unaware of the explosive impact their lives will have upon the world.
Long description
Big oil means big money. Very big money. And that fact unleashes corruption that stretches from Houston to Washington to the Mideast - and ensnares industrialists, princes, spies, politicos, oilfield laborers and terrorists in a deadly, deceptive web of move and countermove. George Clooney (Academy Award and Golden Globe winner as Best Supporting Actor) Matt Damon and Jeffrey Wright lead a stellar cast in a lightning-paced, whip-smart thriller written and directed by Traffic Academy Award winner Stephen Gaghan. From its very first scene, Syriana grips your mind and nerves with an intensity that does'nt let go for an instant. What is the price of oil? This engrossing, insider's tour of the world's hottest spots, grandest schemes and most dangerous men (Richard Corliss, Time) has a jolting answer.