Syriana

[Justice 0]

BigOl says it's very heavy-handed:

 

I didn't say it was, I just said that maybe others might view it as heavy-handed.

 

Ah, sorry. My own misinterpretation.

 

Justice, have you ever thought that maybe the STORY itself is heavy handed?

 

That maybe, just maybe, there is no happy ending in this mideast oil situation, because there is so much profit, so much conflict, et cetera.

 

I mean I heard that Baer said that in making this movie he had to tune the truth down because the stories were rediculous and negative that he didn't think that the heartland could take it.

 

Nevermind that, as previously stated, this all happened while a dem was in office, although I'm sure it happened under both Bush presidents and will later.

 

God, way to misinterpret. I was simply explaining Vyce's view, and why its fairly legitimate to say that "I don't want to see this movie because I don't want to be insulted for 3 hours", as I'm not eally sure its going to give the fairest viewpoints on things. I haven't seen it yet, though from what I've seen, I'm expecting a movie that is going to be a bit.. biased, I suppose. But I'm going to try and reserve my judgement until I actually see it.

 

Next time, pay attention to the entire conversation,

[cabbageboy 0]

Actually yes I did see a picture of Clinton in the justice dept. office so it made me wonder if this film was set during the 1990s. But then I did notice Matt Damon mention "Gulf War 1 and Gulf War 2" so I'm baffled as to when exactly it takes place.

 

In the end I don't think the film actually takes a real stand on anything. I mean it does try and say that it'd be better for that particular country if they built a new pipe and sent oil to China, but then make sure to note that really isn't in the best interests of the USA.

[Hogan Made Wrestling 0]

Actually yes I did see a picture of Clinton in the justice dept. office so it made me wonder if this film was set during the 1990s. But then I did notice Matt Damon mention "Gulf War 1 and Gulf War 2" so I'm baffled as to when exactly it takes place.

 

In the end I don't think the film actually takes a real stand on anything. I mean it does try and say that it'd be better for that particular country if they built a new pipe and sent oil to China, but then make sure to note that really isn't in the best interests of the USA.

 

It wouldn't surprise me if there is a conflict that gets referred to as "Gulf War 2" in think tank-speak that is not the current Iraq war. For instance James Woolsey (the former CIA director) calls the Cold War "World War 3" and the war on terrorism "World War 4".

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Everyone should look forwards to that. It looks like it'll be great.

 

I don't. I'll stick with the 1933 version, thanks though.

[CheesalaIsGood 0]

BigOl says it's very heavy-handed:

 

I didn't say it was, I just said that maybe others might view it as heavy-handed.

 

Ah, sorry. My own misinterpretation.

 

Justice, have you ever thought that maybe the STORY itself is heavy handed?

 

That maybe, just maybe, there is no happy ending in this mideast oil situation, because there is so much profit, so much conflict, et cetera.

 

I mean I heard that Baer said that in making this movie he had to tune the truth down because the stories were rediculous and negative that he didn't think that the heartland could take it.

 

Nevermind that, as previously stated, this all happened while a dem was in office, although I'm sure it happened under both Bush presidents and will later.

 

God, way to misinterpret. I was simply explaining Vyce's view, and why its fairly legitimate to say that "I don't want to see this movie because I don't want to be insulted for 3 hours", as I'm not eally sure its going to give the fairest viewpoints on things. I haven't seen it yet, though from what I've seen, I'm expecting a movie that is going to be a bit.. biased, I suppose. But I'm going to try and reserve my judgement until I actually see it.

 

Next time, pay attention to the entire conversation,

 

 

 

Maybe he should reserve judgement as well. It couldn't hurt.

[Hogan Made Wrestling 0]

Worth noting is that whoever reviewed this on Foxnews.com (I've lost the link, sorry) really enjoyed it and gave it a very positive review.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Anyway, I too am looking forward to Kong.

 

I'm not surprised; another piece of liberal trash made to make the military and law enforcement look bad by having them shoot a big black monkey just because he's with a white woman.

 

Pops in "Red Dawn" DVD...

Edited December 14, 2005 by kkktookmybabyaway

[Vyce 0]

No, I read your post just fine. Try and front all you want but being one of those "pit pigs" its obvious where you are coming from. So no need to pretend otherwise. You feel it's just those "hollywood liberals" trying to take cheap shots at Bush and company. Yup, it's all the liberal medias fault. No wonder you need to "escape" the reality has just gotta being killing your type.

 

There are many "kinds" of movies. The politcal thriller type is just another. Maybe it's time for parnoid conservatives to fianlly accept that sometimes a cigar is just a cigar and a movie is just a movie. No matter what it has to "say".

 

Oh my god, you are such a fucking idiot. No, I take that back, I don't really think you're too dense to understand me so much as I just think you're being purposefully disingenuous. Why is it that Justice seems to get it while you don't? Oh yes - he's not obsessed with those of us over at the Pit, seeing as I don't think I've ever heard him mention the other board and yet you're always there to add what I'm sure you think is a rather sly comment about it whenever you can. Here's the rub - no one fucking CARES about your opinion or mine on this fucking movie. I've explained why I have misgivings about this film, and instead of just leaving it as that, you, as usual, want to make an issue out of it for your usual reasons. It's rather obvious 'where you are coming from'.

 

Christ.

[CheesalaIsGood 0]

No, I read your post just fine. Try and front all you want but being one of those "pit pigs" its obvious where you are coming from. So no need to pretend otherwise. You feel it's just those "hollywood liberals" trying to take cheap shots at Bush and company. Yup, it's all the liberal medias fault. No wonder you need to "escape" the reality has just gotta being killing your type.

 

There are many "kinds" of movies. The politcal thriller type is just another. Maybe it's time for parnoid conservatives to fianlly accept that sometimes a cigar is just a cigar and a movie is just a movie. No matter what it has to "say".

 

Oh my god, you are such a fucking idiot. No, I take that back, I don't really think you're too dense to understand me so much as I just think you're being purposefully disingenuous. Why is it that Justice seems to get it while you don't? Oh yes - he's not obsessed with those of us over at the Pit, seeing as I don't think I've ever heard him mention the other board and yet you're always there to add what I'm sure you think is a rather sly comment about it whenever you can. Here's the rub - no one fucking CARES about your opinion or mine on this fucking movie. I've explained why I have misgivings about this film, and instead of just leaving it as that, you, as usual, want to make an issue out of it for your usual reasons. It's rather obvious 'where you are coming from'.

 

Christ.

 

 

Then I guess we come from the same place. Because hackery is hackery whether it's yours or mine. Sorry, I hurt your feelings. Plus, Justice is a conservative just like you so you speak the same language. Misgivings you say? A liberal can't fart in church without it being some big deal out to ruin everything for neocons. So quit pretending I'm over reacting. You asked for it.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

A liberal can't fart in church without it being some big deal out to ruin everything for neocons.

 

Liberals can't fart in church because God strikes them down before they step foot in a place of worship...

[CheesalaIsGood 0]

A liberal can't fart in church without it being some big deal out to ruin everything for neocons.

 

Liberals can't fart in church because God strikes them down before they step foot in a place of worship...

 

 

 

Thats why I stay away from those places. Things haven't been the same since I pissed in the holy water.

[CheesalaIsGood 0]

A review from

http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=22018

 

 

 

Hola all. Massawyrm here. You know, there are those that are going to say Syriana is a lot like Stephen Gaghan’s academy award winning film (for which he wrote the screenplay) Traffic. But I’m here to say unequivocally that it is not a lot like Traffic. It is Traffic. The Same. Exact. Film. Beat for beat. All you need to do to get a sense of what exactly Syriana is, is simply watch Traffic and replace the international drug trade with the world of international oil. But is that actually a bad thing? I mean Traffic was really good. Some would say great. Is effectively remaking it something of a worthwhile venture?

 

Yes. Yes it is. That is, if you liked Traffic. Me, I liked Traffic a lot, but didn’t love it as much as others did. I thought it was a really good movie that covered a lot of ground, but wasn’t perfect. Then again, I was never very interested in the world of the international drug trade. It’s just one of those topics that never grabbed me. The film had an amazing cast and was well written, but was never anything I was in complete love with. Syriana on the other hand, plays exactly into my realms of interest. I’ve always had a keen interest in back room politics, shady deals and government black bag – including false flag – operations. (oooh, I just put the words False and flag together on the internet. I now have my very own FBI file. Isn’t that cool?) So for me, the idea of a film covering the wide ranging effects of the oil trade through several of its major and minor players is absolutely fascinating.

 

Syriana is the story of Oil, from the guys who pump it, to the guys who sell it, to the guys who lobby for it and ultimately on up to the guys who kill for it. And yet, it manages to accomplish a lot more than one would think. In our current super charged political climate, one would expect this to be an extremely preachy liberal mindfuck of a film – a steel jacketed shell, locked and loaded, ready to be fired at the very heart of the Republican party. But it isn’t. What is most surprising about this film, is that much like Traffic before it, Syriana tells every facet of its tale with even handed care, making sure that every character, both well intentioned and vile, is human. Everyone is flawed and everyone is rational. There isn’t a character here that is completely detestable or beyond logic. Even the most unlikable among them have rational arguments, reasoned beliefs that you have to actually think long and hard to contradict. Never do you sit in your seat, pulling your hair out at the raw, insipid, stupidity of anyone on screen. No one is a cardboard cutout and there isn’t a single side that is really under represented. Sure, there are characters that are total scumbags, irredeemable men who have fallen too far. But they’re real. And they exist on all sides of this story.

 

Which ultimately becomes the tragedy of this film. Because the knee jerks on both sides of American politics are going to pervert this to their own agenda. The ReRe Right, as I mentioned in my Narnia review, are simply going to ignore this and chalk it up to more liberal Hollywood Bullshit. They’re going to chalk up Clooney and Damon with the likes of Affleck and Sheen, screaming “Why don’t they just STFU!?!” The Wingnut left, on the other hand, are going to celebrate this as this years tentpole film for their beliefs, and convince a whole mess of people that this is the must see film of the decade, because it’s exactly what they’ve been talking about, while screaming “No blood for oil! No blood for oil!” And really, they’ll both be wrong.

 

Syriana does in fact have a message, and while on the surface it is about just how fucked up the oil trade is at every level, what it’s really about is corruption. Like Traffic before it, this is a film about the various levels of corruption of the human soul. It is about how sane, rational men – patriotic men, family men, men of honor and virtue - become corrupted and caught up in things they always swore they would never do. There are few people in this world that really set out to do bad things, very few people that want to release untold bloodshed or ruin the lives of others. Sadly, as the cliché goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Syriana is about the trip down that road. It is about why a 19 year old would want to strap a bomb to his chest. It is about why a good hearted business man would get involved with spoiled royalty. And it is about why a family man would high five a coworker after blowing a family off the face of the planet. It’s about what we do, not just we as Americans – but we as people do, to maintain our quality of life. And what we do to improve it.

 

And that a film as important as this, a film as truthful as this, comes out in such a climate – well, the real message is going to be lost. To most people who watch this, it is going to entirely be about Oil. Of course, that’s probably the reason it got made in the first place, but whether by design or pure accident, the film transcended the material and became something to really chew on.

 

Gaghan finally got it right again. After being attached to three miserable failures – Abandon (which he directed), The Alamo and Havoc – he finally manages to attain the promise he showed when he first won Oscar gold almost 5 years ago. Sure, it’s for doing the exact same thing he did before, but some people are only really good at one thing. Perhaps for Gaghan, wide ranging character dramas about current events is it. It’s certainly not a bad thing to excel at. But as a sophomore effort as a director, this is a jump to light speed. Of course, it helps that he’s taking his visual cues from Soderbergh - as if that were a bad thing. What Gaghan does with Soderbergh’s style, however, I really love. Soderbergh is a brilliant director, don’t get me wrong. The man can take some of the most notoriously bad actors in the industry (like Casey Affleck, Jennifer Lopez and Scott Caan) and milk truly inspired performances out of them. He can talk some of the biggest actors in the industry to take on the strangest roles. And he can blend looks together to make truly unique, uncompromised visual styles. Of course, Soderbergh also tends to get just a tad too experimental every now and then. With Traffic, he over saturated different story lines with different colors to accentuate mood, while completely over exposing another to give it a blown out look. And while the effect was, as I said, unique, it was also a bit too jarring for some and turned others completely off to the film altogether. It’s the type of thing that requires you to know who directed it before you call it “Genius.” Because, well, lets face it. It could have been an amateurish mistake. What Gaghan does, however, is borrows Soderbergh’s realistic, gritty style – filled with plenty of handheld camera work and personal “right in the thick of it” angles – and leaves out anything gimmicky. He chooses a style, a look and a color scheme right in the very beginning and he maintains it the whole way through. While some may come to refer to it as Soderbergh lite, I like it quite a bit. The film feels very personal, very up close and real, without feeling like the director ever succumbed to his inner-film student.

 

And Gaghan gets some truly inspired performances out of his actors as well. I mean, he’s getting George Clooney his first Oscar nod, if not his first Oscar. Sure, you’ve already heard a lot of the buzz, and you’re going to be hearing more. Much more. Because this is George Clooney’s career making film. Clooney’s always been great. He showed us Slick cunning cool in Ocean’s Eleven, funny stupid cool in O Brother Where Art Thou, and just plain fucking cool in From Dusk Till Dawn. Hell, I even love him to death in the time honored camp classic Return of the Killer Tomatoes, where he pulled of sleazy best friend cool with all the panache Willie Ames in Zapped. But here, George Clooney is not cool. Hell, he’s decidedly uncool. He’s an overweight, paranoid CIA agent who’s spent way too much time undercover. He’s starting to become a liability to the agency and just absolutely doesn’t see it. His career is just about over and then all hell breaks loose and he finds himself in way over his head. And Clooney is just completely fucking awesome. And the thing of it is, is that despite the trailers and posters selling this as a George Clooney film, it’s not. Not really. It’s an Ensemble piece. Just like Traffic. But also just like Traffic, there is one absolute stand out, one person who’s character may seem small and trivial in the scheme of things, but that turns in a performance so powerful that the movie really, in your mind, becomes about them. For Traffic it was Benecio del Toro. For Syriana, it is George Clooney. Anyone who’s never given Clooney the credit he deserves, anyone who doesn’t feel Clooney’s ever lived up to his hype, owes it to themselves to be proven wrong by Syriana. It proves to be his most wonderfully textured performance to date, and the one I’m certain the Academy will finally recognize him for.

 

Other stand out performances come from Matt Damon (who is so good here he might actually get an Oscar nomination that can be put in trailers that actually refer to his acting), Jeffrey Wright (who is one of those barely recognizable actors due to his tremendous talent to switch from one character to the next), the always solid Chris Cooper, a great creepy old Washington insider performance from the classic Christopher Plummer, and a really surprising dramatic turn from someone no one ever seems to take seriously – Amanda Peet. And there isn’t a weak link in the bunch. Even the relative unknowns plucked for this film (many of which are Arabic actors whose previous work is exclusively in Arab language films) all deliver amazing performances. Nobody is bad. There isn’t a single wasted line or subpar delivery. The acting is perfect, perfect, perfect.

 

So the acting’s perfect, is the movie? Welllllllll…..no. It does suffer from a few small flaws. First and foremost, anyone who didn’t like Traffic isn’t going to like this one bit either. It covers an awful lot of ground in a very short amount of time, and much like its predecessor feels like there’s an hour or so missing that would wrap things up completely. In Traffic, that was actually the case, so I suspect that it’s entirely possible that there’s a much longer cut of this sitting around somewhere, waiting for a special edition DVD release. There is one seemingly incomprehensible subplot involving Jeffrey Wright and his father that comes across as if it were cut to hell. Why it still exists I’ll never know, as it is the one part of the film that really doesn’t add anything to it, nor is ever explained enough to warrant keeping. These truly feel like scenes Gaghan loved so much that he didn’t have the heart to cut them when the bulk of that subplot ended up on the cutting room floor and prove to be the one real misstep in the film. With virtually every other scene being of vital importance to every other character in the film, this becomes the sore thumb that can’t seem to be explained away by anything apart from Gaghan’s vanity or his will to keep a beloved actor in the film after his character was deemed irrelevant. Fortunately, these scenes are quick and bookended by much more important material that pretty much allows you to forget about it. But it’s there.

 

And as this covers so much ground, there are times when some might think it’s merely meandering. There came a point towards the end in which I actually became convinced that Syriana was in fact going nowhere whatsoever. It was approaching the two hour mark and I began to get nervous – just for a second – that this was a lot of jerking off with no money shot. But then, things shifted dramatically, and almost every story came together in one, amazing, final conclusion that left me with my jaw on the floor. I actually jumped in my chair and brought my hand to my face in utter shock. And the payoff was well worth the wait, well worth the set up and the staggering amount of characters.

 

Syriana IS one of the best films of the year. Well made, potent and truly incendiary stuff. Gaghan’s finally on the right track. Clooney’s finally going to get some recognition. Critics finally have something substantive to debate this season. And best of all, we as an audience finally get something deep and important to chew on.

 

Until next time friends, smoke e’m if ya got ‘em. I know I will.

 

Massawyrm

[Gary Floyd 0]

Yeah, a review from Ain't It Cool News will reaslly convince people. Anyways, I saw Syriana a few days ago. Good, though really confusing.

[CheesalaIsGood 0]

SPOILERS on this one so be careful.

 

 

 

I think this one sums it up nicely.

 

 

 

Written and Directed by Stephen Gaghan

 

Starring:

- Kayvan Novak as Arash

- George Clooney as Bob Barnes

- Amr Waked as Mohammed Sheik Agiza

- Christopher Plummer as Dean Whiting

- Jeffrey Wright as Bennett Holiday

- Chris Cooper as Jimmy Pope

Matt Cale is at least honest...

 

Why on earth do I continue to see movies like Syriana? Why, when there are so many opportunities in this big, wide wonderful world to skip through the park, work with children, or take puppies on walks while the sky glistens with morning dew and rainbows, must I be drawn to motion pictures that leave me drained, battered, depressed, and cursing the darkness? I'd have it no other way, of course, for sentimentality and mindless escape are as foreign to me as compliments in bed or lucrative job offers, but I often wonder what it might be like to have no concern whatsoever for life's bitter truths. And yet, despite Syriana's obliteration of hope, its unapologetic immersion in the brutality of our times, and the refusal to offer even a mere glimmer of hope as we continue our long march to the collective graveyard of dreams deferred and dashed, I was as captivated as a young child at the circus. My glee was that of a cackling demon upon receiving the first cart of damned souls, or even a sadistic warden as the hardened cheeks of his charges are led to the showers. It's a movie for anyone toasting the end of civilization, and while it remains just that -- a movie -- it never leaves the mind that every scene, every image, every last frame, is not only probable, but likely happening somewhere in the world at this very moment. It's about crime, corruption, terrorism, and oil, although it's impossible to distinguish between them at all; as if those chronicling our world have finally been granted permission to speak openly about the way the world has worked for centuries on end. Only now, we do in fact possess the means with which to destroy ourselves.

 

Syriana, like Traffic (also written by Stephen Gaghan), is a jumbled, complex, and exhilarating work; a film that throws out mere pieces of narrative, always trusting the audience to wait patiently for connections that may or may not come. The camera itself is unsteady, as if the only way to portray two hours of globetrotting and political intrigue is to keep us breathless and just a little dizzy. There are literally dozens of faces to remember, although a few do manage to establish a primacy of sorts. Still, this is not about any one man or woman, as the nasty business of oil could hardly be reduced to a single relationship or chain. Far from a shadowy cabal, the corporations and key figures operate largely in the open, couching their transactions in terminology so benign that it requires little effort to see it as "just business." Many of us have little affection for Big Oil, of course, as we bitch about gas prices, wag our fingers at President Bush and his cronies, or question the motivations behind the invasion of Iraq, but almost in the same breath as our complaints, we draw the line at any real regulation or accountability. We too want it all when it comes to our energy, and whatever needs to be done to maintain a cheap, seemingly unlimited supply, we've already signed the deal. Surely, though, if it gets too sticky, we'd rather you close the door and leave us out of it. The harsh light of reality tends to make that drive across town to the Outback Steakhouse in our Hummer a little less jovial.

 

What I like most about Syriana is that it refuses to hide its political leanings or propagandistic identity, choosing instead to have a well-defined point of view. When so much of life is managed, controlled, and studied to ensure maximum participation (and minimum offensiveness), it is quite refreshing to find a film that makes you take a stand. While neither the script nor the director resort to heavy-handedness or oversimplification, it is impossible to remain unmoved in the presence of so vivid a portrait. Yes, the film posits the belief that the American government, through its intelligence agencies, monitors the global network to ensure favorable elections, governments, and economic developments, but as obvious as that idea might be, there remains enough historical ambiguity to allow for a spirited debate. At the very least, indifference is and must remain the refuge of the unconscious. Fictional companies and leaders are put forth in the film, but after Iran, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Chile, East Timor, and Iraq, does anyone doubt the disturbing legacy of our nation? Sure, in many ways this could be an American tale, but it is impossible to see how anyone of good conscience could ever step forward to cease operations. Insert a Democrat, or an Egyptian, or even a hero from a Frank Capra movie, and very little would change. Perhaps that's why we are routinely supplied the illusion of elections to fight over like so many scraps of cheese before starving rats. In the end, they're all beholden to the same god.

 

Among the story threads are Bob's tale, and as played by a meatier George Clooney, he is a covert agent who isn't above killing for king and country, but he's the last man to abide betrayal. He acquires a conscience of sorts near the film's conclusion, but it is telling that he is killed for the effort. What's more, his actions, had they been successful, would have changed nothing, as the forces of reaction are extremely patient, after all. Bob has a family (in name only), though his wife and son live in Pakistan, where she is forced to live as a "secretary." In only a few brief snippets, we understand that a man like Bob is incapable of a meaningful relationship, and we instantly wonder how on earth undercover officers maintain their sanity as they attempt to live "normally." He is assigned to "remove" a key roadblock to peace in the Middle East, although as in our own world, we see that peace is far from the absence of tension, but rather the presence of favorable economic conditions. Bob never appears to be anything other than a jaded company man, and thankfully he is not sacked with a dull subplot involving a love interest. And we know that such a movie could easily exist -- just picture Julia Roberts as the ingenue.

 

Matt Damon is also on board as an energy trader (named Bryan Woodman), a title which is never fully explained, albeit deliberately. There are thousands of such men wandering the globe in search of the big prize, and I doubt any one of them could describe their job in less than an hour. Bryan and his family live in Switzerland, although at a moment's notice, he'll be asked to Spain to sweet-talk a young prince. Bryan, while the only character saddled with an intact family, is far from domesticated, as the only real time he spends with his brood ends in tragedy. Other than that, he is in Iran, Saudi Arabia, or any number of key points on the energy grid. The strength of this tale lies in the ease by which Bryan turns on the "role" of business executive. We all know that the life of a high stakes money man is a gigantic fraud full of handshakes, glasses of brandy in hotel rooms, and casual chats in limos, but its representation never ceases to reduce me to a pool of disgust. Perhaps moral clarity ensues when paychecks leap into seven figures, but one glance at this life reminds me of why my ambitions remain little more than having a little cash at the end of the week to hit the movie theater. Flying under the radar may not produce a house in the country, but at least you can retain your dignity. I know, that's nothing more than dressed-up bullshit disguised as nobility, so who's fooling who? Hell, I know damn well that I'd have half my family shot for a nicer apartment.

 

And then there's Jeffrey Wright as Bennett Holiday, a high-powered attorney who works hand-in-glove with various oil men, only to realize that even small pangs of conscience are quickly extinguished by the realities of the marketplace. Investigators, in need of a sacrificial lamb to satisfy certain P.R. obligations, are calling for more meat than the corporation is willing to give, leading Bennett to help broker a deal. In the midst of this we meet Dean Whiting (Christopher Plummer), Jimmy Pope (Chris Cooper), and Danny Dalton (Tim Blake Nelson), whose brief monologue on corruption is so tightly worded and depressingly accurate that we all but throw up our hands, mutter hopelessly, and arrange a long-awaited interview with the dull end of a switchblade. For no matter how much we might be appalled by the sheer avarice of these professional liars, there are millions more waiting in the wings. Sure, consumers receive benefits from all this wheeling and dealing, but shouldn't it make a difference that what we get out of the bargain is the very last thing on the priority list? Oh, sorry, that would be working conditions, benefits, and gross pay for the suckers at the ass-end of things. Sure, I understand the world and no, I don't expect to snap my fingers and produce a workers' paradise where everyone shares and loves and cuddles with joy, but must all roads lead to power and profit? You don't need to tell me the answer.

 

In the end, this is a sweeping epic about where we are now, and it's so much the better for not cleaning itself up. Bryan returns to his wife at the end and another man seems to feel bad for actions taken, but a story such as this is impossible to resolve. The day after the story ends, the same men will be back at work; the same disillusioned young Muslims will be recruited for terrorist acts; and the same U.S. government will be laying its cock on the table while trying to convince the rest of us that it's actually a heart on a sleeve. And speaking of the terrorist angle, it must be praised for its subtle turn, although the end result is far from a surprise. What grinds away at the audience is the realization that, in fact, poverty and despair are the proud parents of martyrdom, and so long as exploitation and inequality reign as champions of the global economy, buses will continue to explode and city life remain one of high alert. And consider the words of the young prince bent towards reform, yet utterly baffled by the United States' shocking display of insecurity: "Five percent of the population, yet fifty percent of overall defense spending.....someone now realizes how ineffective they are at communicating with the world."

[The Mandarin 0]

Saw this today. I liked what I understood, but some of the stuff was absolutely baffling to me. It's not like I have anything against complicated films (21 Grams and Eternal Sunshine are among my top 10 of all time) but political espionage just isn't my thing. Jeffrey Wright's scenes didn't really register with me; I found them boring and dull until it became apparent what decision he was making. Stuff like the suicide bomber was easy to follow except it felt like they left scenes out.

 

Anyways, I liked some of the stuff and I think it deserves a second viewing, preferably through my television. This time I won't be expecting so much action and kung-fu.

[Mecha Mummy 0]

Saw this today. I liked what I understood, but some of the stuff was absolutely baffling to me. It's not like I have anything against complicated films (21 Grams and Eternal Sunshine are among my top 10 of all time) but political espionage just isn't my thing. Jeffrey Wright's scenes didn't really register with me; I found them boring and dull until it became apparent what decision he was making. Stuff like the suicide bomber was easy to follow except it felt like they left scenes out.

 

Anyways, I liked some of the stuff and I think it deserves a second viewing, preferably through my television. This time I won't be expecting so much action and kung-fu.

 

Yeah, more or less. I saw this on Sunday and there were some really good scenes. There were also scenes that made no sense to me whatsoever.

 

It's the kind of movie where I would want a copy of the screenplay handed to me upon entering the theater just so I could keep up with who is who, who's aligned with who, how the stories intersect, and so on.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

Spoilers within.

 

Fucking amazing movie. It's about corruption, the corporatization of government, about compromise and ambition, about lines and where to draw them, it is an apolitical film at the same time as being a film about politics. There's no mention of democrats or republicans, there are no senators or the ilk. This is about the system and how it works and how it doesn't matter if the parties change, those in the system won't. To the reviewer who said this was like Traffic, it's like Traffic only on the surface (Government, Geopolitics, and a Current Event). This is a 100% serious movie, there's no humour at all, which is kind of a lil off-putting for someone who is used to a formulaic standard of screenwriting. This doesn't have a formula. It is wonderfully crafted and to write it off because you disagree with its stance on the issues is, well... actually, you know what, those who have already formed an opinion on it, well I am happy you won't get to see it. So go watch King Kong. Enjoy it. Stay away from this film.

 

I loved how they just put you in without a lot of pretense or set up or exposition. You had to figure it out along the way. The movie seemed to take forever, and I mean that in the best possible way. I could have sworn it went over 3 hours, just because there was so much stuff in it to follow and you never took your eyes of the screen. You never stopped thinking while watching the film and you never stopped thinking an hour after you saw it. The film is about perception, and yours will change when watching this movie. The bad guys become good, the good become bad, and in the end there really is no good or bad, just self-interests.

 

Very strong performances across the board, especially from Christopher Plummer. He was the key figure in the movie, in my view, with the way he manipulated both the foreign interests and the domestic ones, while being completely behind the scenes. It's hard to say exactly who manipulates who and who has the power, but I'm pretty sure Plummer is the central figure and true power player. I love the way Government and Business interact, how its topical in the big mergers/megacorps, globalization, etc. but yet universal in the "I scratch your back" kind of way and how the desire for money and power corrupts. I liked the parallelling of Clooney and Damons character. I liked how Clooneys character evolved and the sort of irony of his situation. The film presented good guys in the film, but are they really good when looking at your own self-interests? I found that part fascinating and I don't think I can resolve that question within myself just right now. I know Canada is a lot more open in this sort of thing than the States are, and I think that is as much of a damning quality as it is a reflection of Canadas open economy. I love how this film was real. It was real. You watch this stuff, and how it takes things that *are* happening today, puts a spin on it, and you believe it. This is the stuff you read in the newspaper everyday, on tv every night, and you don't give it a second thought. This managed to relate corporate mergers with suicide bombers, and goddamn if it didn't do a convincing job of it.

 

The only negative, and its not really a negative, was the portrayal of the suicide bombers. Its a bit of a cliche nowadays to humanize suicide bombers - not that it's a bad thing, because different perspectives are necessary, it's just... cliched... the final image of the boat is particularly haunting. I almost feel that the story could have been equally effective if it left the two guys out, but in away it's essential to the film and the story and how "what goes around comes around". That the collateral damage goes both ways and that you can't get away from the effects of, basically, globalization. No one got away clean in this. And one has to wonder if it's all a necessary evil.

 

I'd like to know what scenes "made no sense".

Edited December 24, 2005 by RavishingRickRudo

[Mecha Mummy 0]

Made no sense to ME, keep in mind. At certain points my mind started to wander and pretty much all of Jeffery Wright's character's plotline is a blur to me now outside of the "corruption is why we win" scene.

 

Okay, first off, what, exactly, was Clooney's character looking to accomplish by stopping Nasir?

 

Then, like I said, Wright's plotline became a blur. I think the problem was that in this movie there's about a metric fuckton of things to take in and I lost track of things around half an hour in.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Nasir was planning on selling out the country's oil rights to China, something the US was none too keen on. Clooney was sent to take care of him.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

**Spoilers within**

 

My take on Clooney looking to save Nasir is that he was lied to. The reason he was given to kill Nasir by the Government was that "he was a bad guy". The truth was that it was because of the oil merger and Christopher Plummer was pulling the strings. Nasir was still going to die, Clooney had to save him (a)Because it was the right thing to do, (b)To fuck-over whomever was trying to fuck him over, and ©He never left the middle-east in the 80's. He's stuck in the past. Any reason to go over there is a good one, for him. The scene with him and Plummer in the diner was fucking badass. "This is guaranteed".

 

The Lawyer storyline was maybe my favourite, just because you didn't know what to think about it until it all came down. You thought the dude was a good guy and you expect him to, like, come through in the end and say "this is wrong!" but in the end, he's what Plummer said he was - a Lion. Like, seriously, up until the final moments of that movie, I was STILL expecting him to come clean. And he doesn't. You think that Government and the Business are working against each other, but they aren't. You think that him looking for problems -looking for someone to screw- is to protect the company, or he's a turncoat and he's really working for the government. But what he's doing is giving some lambs for the slaughter so the merger can go through. The Government can't just let it happen, the public would be outraged, there has to be some casualties, some losses, some "due diligence" because no corporation is clean, there is always some form of corruption and the Government wanted the public to know they were looking into it and there's no better way of saying "we're on it" than putting people -big names- in jail.

 

The scene in the car is very telling of the relationship between government and business. "He's not enough". And the scene where Chris Cooper is wondering if the lawyer has a wire on him, even though he had a certain amount of security - everyone is watching their back and covering their asses.

Edited December 25, 2005 by RavishingRickRudo

[Just John 0]

I guess there'll be some spoilers here, so watch out.

 

Per request of KKK, I repeat, there are spoilers here. Read at your own risk.

 

I loved the movie quite a bit. Wasn't sure what to think right after the movie, but after taking some time to digest the plots, I really liked it. I definitely want to see it again to catch some of the finer details I'm sure I missed trying to focus on the big picture. One of the things I loved is how so much happened in the movie, but yet nothing was accomplished just because everyone's selfish motivations cancel each other out. The Connex corporation goes through all of these underhanded tactics to get the oil, only to have their plant blown up by pissed off workers who were laid off during their merger with the bomb Clooney sold them. Clooney's change of heart at the end only gets him killed. The Middle East doesn't get any better and America gets no oil. No one ends up any better off, despite that seeming to be everyone's goal.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

JJ, you might want to give some spoiler warnings to your most recent post...