Syriana (2005)
- Starring:
- George Clooney, Matt Damon, (more)
- Director(s):
- Stephen Gaghan
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- R
- Category:
- Mystery & Suspense, Drama
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Oil drives greed in Oscar-winning Traffic screenwriter Stephen Gaghan's labyrinthine sophomore directorial effort that traces the corruption of the global oil industry from the backrooms of Washington, D.C., to the petroleum-rich fields of the Middle East. Based in part on the writings of former CIA case officer Robert Baer, Syriana combines multiple storylines to explore the complexities that befall a proposed merger between two U.S. oil giants. Reform-minded Gulf country prince Nasir (Alexander Siddig) is in favor of making his nation more self-sufficient rather than U.S.-reliant, and his money-minded Western connections couldn't be less pleased. Before settling into a cushy desk job for the remainder of his career, CIA agent Bob Barnes (George Clooney) is sent on one last assignment -- to assassinate Prince Nasir and reinstate U.S. ties in the oil-rich region. Though his loyalty dictates that Barnes carry out his current mission despite lingering doubts of a previous blunder, his mission goes horribly awry when his field contact goes turncoat and Barnes becomes a CIA scapegoat. Meanwhile, up-and-coming Washington attorney Bennett Holiday (Jeffrey Wright) attempts to walk a fine line in overseeing a tenuous merger between two oil giants that's plagued with shady business dealings. Hotshot energy analyst Bryan Woodman (Matt Damon) is in talks to form a lucrative partnership with Prince Nasir, though the death of his son during a party at the prince's estate makes him question his loyalty to business over family. Back in Washington, D.C., Bennet's boss Dean Whiting attempts to undermine Prince Nasir's attempts to make his country less reliant on the U.S. dollar by planting the seeds of dissonance between the progressive prince and his money-minded younger brother Prince Meshal (Akbar Kurtha). ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Theatrical Feature Running Time:
- 128 mins
Complete Cast:
- George Clooney - Bob Barnes
- Jeffrey Wright - Bennett Holiday
- William Hurt - Stan Goff
- Amanda Peet - Julie Woodman
- Alexander Siddig - Prince Nasir Al-Subaai
- Nicholas Reese Art - Riley Woodman
- Fritz Michel - Security Guard
- Jayne Atkinson - CIA Division Chief
- Robert Foxworth - Tommy Thompson
- Jamey Sheridan - Terry George
- Sonnell Dadral - Farooq
- Nadim Sawalha - Emir Hamad Al-Subaai
- Max Minghella - Robby Barnes
- Akbar Kurtha - Prince Meshal Al-Subaai
- Matt Damon - Bryan Woodman
- Chris Cooper - Jimmy Pope
- Tim Blake Nelson - Danny Dalton
- Christopher Plummer - Dean Whiting
- Mazhar Munir - Wasid Ahmed Khan
- Mark Strong - Mussawi
- Viola Davis - Marilyn Richards
- David Clennon - Donald Farish III
- William C. Mitchell - Bennett Holiday, Sr.
- Shahid Ahmed - Saleed Ahmed Khan
- Peter Gerety - Lee Janus
- Nicky Henson - Sydney Hewitt
- Tom McCarthy - Fred Franks
- Director(s):
- Stephen Gaghan
- Writer(s):
- Stephen Gaghan
- Producer(s):
- Georgia Kacandes, Michael Nozik, Jennifer Fox
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- R(Profanity, Violence, Adult Situations)
- Categories:
- Drama, Mystery & Suspense
- Closed Captioning:
- Check All Versions
- Subtitles:
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- 2005 - Syriana - American Film Institute - Best Picture
- 2005 - Syriana - Boston Society of Film Critics - Best Ensemble
- 2005 - Syriana - Dallas/Fort Worth Film Critics Association - Top Ten Film
- 2005 - Syriana - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
- 2005 - Syriana - National Board of Review - Best Adapted Screenplay
- 2005 - Syriana - St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association - Best Supporting Actor
