Review of Syriana (2005) by Mike W — 09 Nov 2008

No easy film to watch, and although I consider myself no slouch I found it pretty hard work keeping on top of the intricacies of the story. Entirely worth the effort, though, and even if not too sure what's actually going on, I'm sure the atmosphere of tension and intrigue would keep you rapt.

The film begins by telling you very little, effectively demanding your full attention for the next 2 hours if you want to weave together the story, although leaving a few loose ends not entirely drawn to a close can't help but add to the confusion of anyone who has difficulty following along, and could leave some viewers feeling very frustrated.

Similarly, the dry, documentary style, despite this not being a true story, could really turn some people off. The power of the film isn't that it's based on actual events, though, rather that not only are the events depicted well within the realms of possibility, but what's more the nature of the power wielded by government and big business would necessarily mean that had such events transpired, there's literally no chance the truth would be unveiled. Coupled with the fairly bleak tone, this leaves the film sobering and powerful.

So yes, it's heavy going - but when the subject matter is so challenging, and speaks such volumes about our society, how could it not be?