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Syriana Reviews

2005

60
from 62,506 members

Stephen Gaghan, who won an Oscar for Best Screenplay for TRAFFIC, makes his directorial debut with SYRIANA, an espionage thriller set in the Middle East. George Clooney stars as Bob Barnes, a longtime CIA agent preparing to slow down his life and spend more time with his teenage son (Max Minghella). But his last secret mission, .. Read more

Starring	George Clooney, Amanda Peet, Tim Blake Nelson, Matt Damon
Director	Stephen Gaghan
Genres	Drama, Thriller

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Critic's review of Syriana
View all critics' reviews (4)
- This fighting-mad film isn't just hot, its' incendiary. And no one gets off the hook. You see it with the exhilarating feeling that a movie can make a difference
- 40706
- - Rolling Stone
  - 08 Oct 2007 at 15:25
Write your own review »
Most helpful member's review of Syriana
View all members' reviews (604)
- - 145
  - 6
  Complex but intriguing - a political film for today
  
  Syriana follows the multi-plot narrative that films such as Traffic and Crash did so well. Four stories are told, each interdependent on the other. One is about... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 214438
- [Highly rated reviewer]
  - SamFromMaidenhead
  - 256 reviews
  - Maidenhead
  - 04 Mar 2006 at 23:33
Most recent members' reviews of Syriana
View all members' reviews (604)
- - 0
  - 0
  Jumping around plot
  
  What a shame that this film ended up being edited so badly. The plot jumps around so much that it is difficult to follow. A truly wasted effort of actors and ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 1116890
- - Geraldine
  - 8 reviews
  - Cockermouth
  - 05 May 2012 at 22:37
- - 0
  - 3
  So much promise, so little given
  
  Sometimes a story does not have to be 'entertaining' to be worth watching. When a story is so intriguing and interesting it is all consuming and you are... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 1095848
- - a customer
  - 23 Feb 2012 at 16:23
- - 0
  - 0
  Let Me Think . .
  
  The opening five minutes give you quite a fair idea of the type of movie you are about to see. One with bombs, and Sheiks, and spies, and politics. But mostly ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 1089664
- - GBO
  - 3 reviews
  - 07 Feb 2012 at 00:51
- - 0
  - 2
  Convoluted - it should have been better
  
  THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS | Show review anywayHide
  
  Well it promised a lot and could have been a good comment on the petro-chemical industry but I really have no idea what went on in the movie - it is something ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 1082534
- - Andjf
  - 13 reviews
  - 16 Jan 2012 at 14:17
- - 4
  - 2
  Boring and slow
  
  This film is really dull and does not flow at all. Trying hard to be arty. We turned it off.
  
  Report this review
- 1070184
- - a customer
  - 04 Dec 2011 at 18:46
- - 0
  - 0
  fast paced actio thriller
  
  fast paced action with a reasonably complex plot but isn't difficult to follow or understand. Quite an unexpected and unusual finale.
  
  Report this review
- 1069368
- - chyk
  - 44 reviews
  - Neston
  - 01 Dec 2011 at 22:07
- - 3
  - 3
  Avoid at all costs
  
  Oh God this was awful. Why can't I give it no stars? I did watch the whole thing but I really have no idea why. Boring, heavy going and way too pleased with... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 1060266
- - a customer
  - 08 Nov 2011 at 20:34
- - 1
  - 1
  Great for insomnia
  
  After a slow start the film gradually lost pace. I couldn't make it to the end as the feeling of boredom started to become tangible.
  
  Report this review
- 1057063
- - a customer
  - 30 Oct 2011 at 20:59
- - 0
  - 1
  A Contemporary Film
  
  This film was released in 2005, 6 years ago, yet is relevant today, a thing I didn’t expect. It is about the oil business, the Emir and his two sons (one ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 1057042
- - Matrisse
  - 18 reviews
  - London
  - 30 Oct 2011 at 20:25
- - 1
  - 0
  Waste of time...
  
  Waste of time. Too many 'main' characters, and too many things going on. No idea who was who, what they were doing or who was good/bad. Feel frustrated ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 1056703
- - albweasel
  - 1 review
  - 29 Oct 2011 at 21:52
View all members' reviews (604)

- - 145
  - 6
  Complex but intriguing - a political film for today
  
  Syriana follows the multi-plot narrative that films such as Traffic and Crash did so well. Four stories are told, each interdependent on the other. One is about... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 214438
- [Highly rated reviewer]
  - SamFromMaidenhead
  - 256 reviews
  - Maidenhead
  - 04 Mar 2006 at 23:33
- - 45
  - 7
  Difficult to understand
  
  I borrowed this film as a result of all the hype. However, I found it difficult to understand, the dialogue was mumbled and some of the subtitles seemed to be ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 267195
- - crispin40
  - 530 reviews
  - Stirling, Scotland
  - 23 Jul 2006 at 22:45
- - 37
  - 5
  The first hour is awful, but it gets better
  
  This is one of the most complicated films I've seen, and I was lost, completely lost, for the first hour or so. But this is surely intentional (the ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 372129
- - TristanWhite
  - 307 reviews
  - London, UK
  - 08 Oct 2006 at 16:08
- - 28
  - 3
  Complex, with a corker of an ending
  
  It is great to see films of such calibre hitting the big screen again and having seen this film, I can't wait for the next Clooney mind-bender! The film&#... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 231075
- - a customer
  - Leeds
  - 10 Apr 2006 at 18:58
- - 14
  - 1
  Stunning
  
  Without spoiling the plot, Syriana is a political thriller studying the relationship between corruption in the oil trade, American foreign policy and the rise ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 224812
- - Turan
  - UK
  - 27 Mar 2006 at 18:56
- - 13
  - 2
  Hard work but rewarding
  
  I had high expectations from this film having read previous reviews, however I ended having mixed feelings as the credits rolled.
  
  For anyone looking ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 276028
- - Rob B
  - Wirral, England
  - 16 Aug 2006 at 19:10
- - 13
  - 4
  True-Fiction-Complex, but rewarding
  
  Seemingly very slow, gains some serious pace around halfway through, and then stuns.
  
  Huge spectrum of locations and characters. All well acted.read more »
  
  Report this review
- 408188
- - a customer
  - NOTTINGHAM
  - 01 Feb 2007 at 18:00
- - 11
  - 1
  Read the book
  
  If you want to enjoy this film, read the book first. I did, and still struggled to understand it. And if you've read the book, then you won't want to ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 392931
- - a customer
  - Bournemouth
  - 08 Dec 2006 at 00:42
- - 11
  - 1
  Complex but rewarding
  
  Syriana requires that you maintain composure whilst four different but equally complex stories are slowly moulded together to reveal the final picture (so if ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 444414
- - LeoM
  - 19 reviews
  - London
  - 28 May 2007 at 20:12
- - 10
  - 1
  American Middle East Mea Culpa
  
  This is a very powerful political thriller that exposes the corrupt influences of American oil interests in the Middle East.
  
  Although the plot is ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 451016
- - a customer
  - Galashiels, Scotland
  - 18 Jun 2007 at 22:34

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Critics' reviews
- This fighting-mad film isn't just hot, its' incendiary. And no one gets off the hook. You see it with the exhilarating feeling that a movie can make a difference
- 40706
- - Rolling Stone
  - 08 Oct 2007 at 15:25
- Outwardly, the picture projects an impression of fragmentation and instability to reflect the turmoil of the world it is investigating
- 40707
- - Sight and Sound
  - 08 Oct 2007 at 15:25
- Having tackled the war on drugs in his Oscar-winning screenplay for âTrafficâ, writer-director Stephen Gaghanâs... read more on Time Out
- 49402
- - Trevor Johnston
  - Time Out
  - 04 Nov 2008 at 00:19
- A movie that demands and rewards close attention.... One of the best geopolitical thrillers in a very long time
- 40705
- - New York Times
  - 08 Oct 2007 at 15:25

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Buy from Amazon.co.uk

- - Buy
- Syriana - Blu-ray
  
  Stephen Gaghan, who won an Oscar for Best Screenplay for TRAFFIC, makes his directorial debut with SYRIANA, an espionage thriller set in the Middle East. George Clooney stars as Bob Barnes, a long-time CIA agent preparing to slow down his life and spend more time with his teenage son (Max Minghella)...

- Syriana - HD
  
  Stephen Gaghan, who won an Oscar for Best Screenplay for TRAFFIC, makes his directorial debut with SYRIANA, an espionage thriller set in the Middle East. George Clooney stars as Bob Barnes, a long-time CIA agent preparing to slow down his life and spend more time with his teenage son (Max Minghella)...

- - Buy
- Syriana
  
  Stephen Gaghan, who won an Oscar for Best Screenplay for TRAFFIC, makes his directorial debut with SYRIANA, an espionage thriller set in the Middle East. George Clooney stars as Bob Barnes, a longtime CIA agent preparing to slow down his life and spend more time with his teenage son (Max Minghella)....