The war on terror becomes personal for a CIA agent (George Clooney), while a proposed merger between oil... (Learn more)
Starring: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Jeffrey Wright (View All)
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Starring: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Jeffrey Wright
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
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US Release Date
11/23/05
MPAA Rating
Rated R for for violence and language.
Running Time
126 mins.
Locations
- Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Europe
- Geneva, Switzerland
- Middle East
- Morocco
- North Africa
- Texas, USA
- Washington, DC, USA
Language
- Arabic
- English
- Farsi
Box Office Total
$50,815,288
Awards
- Nominated for a Best Original Score award at the 2005 Hollywood Foreign Press Association [F Awards.
- Nominated for a Best Adapted Screenplay award at the 2005 Writers Guild of America [Festival/Awa Awards.
- Nominated for a Best Picture award at the 2005 National Board of Review [Festival/Awa Awards.
- Winner of the Best Ensemble award at the 2005 Boston Society of Film Critics [Festiv Awards.
- Winner of the Best Supporting Actor award at the 2005 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie Awards.
- Winner of the Best Supporting Actor award at the 2005 St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Associat Awards.
- Nominated for a Best Ensemble Acting award at the 2005 Broadcast Film Critics Association [Fe Awards.
- Nominated for a Best Supporting Actor award at the 2005 Broadcast Film Critics Association [Fe Awards.
- Winner of the Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion award at the 2005 Hollywood Foreign Press Association [F Awards.
- Winner of the Best Picture award at the 2005 American Film Institute [Festival/Awar Awards.
- Nominated for a Best Art Direction in a Contemporary Film award at the 2005 Art Directors Guild [Festival/Award] Awards.
- Nominated for a Best Supporting Actor award at the 2005 British Academy of Film and Television Awards.
- Winner of the Best Adapted Screenplay award at the 2005 National Board of Review [Festival/Awa Awards.
- Winner of the Top Ten Film award at the 2005 Dallas/Fort Worth Film Critics Associat Awards.
- Nominated for a Best Supporting Actor award at the 2005 Screen Actors Guild [Festival/Award] Awards.
- Nominated for a Best Original Screenplay award at the 2005 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie Awards.
Distributor
- Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group
- Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution
- Warner Brothers
