Tellusepisode

Streaming Guide, Reviews, Trailers

Syriana (2005)

Coming Out at 23 November 2005 in theaters.

Drama, Thriller

Syriana is geopolitical thriller film written and directed by Stephen Gaghan, and executive produced by George Clooney, who also stars in the film with an ensemble cast. Gaghan’s screenplay is loosely adapted from ex CIA operative Robert Baer’s memoir See No Evil. The film focuses on petroleum politics and the global influence of the oil industry, whose political, economic, legal, and social effects are experienced by a Central Intelligence Agency operative (George Clooney), an energy analyst (Matt Damon), a Washington, D.C., attorney (Jeffrey Wright), and a young unemployed Pakistani migrant worker (Mazhar Munir) in an Arab state in the Persian Gulf. The film also features an extensive supporting cast including Amanda Peet, Tim Blake Nelson, Mark Strong, Alexander Siddig, Amr Waked, and Academy Award winners Christopher Plummer, Chris Cooper and William Hurt.

The film was shot in 200 locations in five continents, with large parts shot in the Middle East, Africa and Washington, DC. In an interview with Charlie Rose, Gaghan described incidents (including planned regime changes in Venezuela) from personal meetings and interviews with the most powerful oil owners, owners of media houses, lobbyists, lawyers and politicians which were included in the film. As with Gaghan’s screenplay for Traffic, Syriana uses multiple, parallel storylines, jumping between locations in Iran, Texas, Washington, D.C., Switzerland, Spain and Lebanon.

U.S. energy giant Connex Oil is losing control of key oil fields in a Persian Gulf kingdom ruled by the al-Subaai family. The emirate’s foreign minister, Prince Nasir, has granted natural gas drilling rights to a Chinese company, greatly upsetting the U.S. oil industry and the U.S. government. To compensate for its decreased production capacity, Connex initiates a shady merger with Killen, a smaller oil company that recently won the drilling rights to key petroleum fields in Kazakhstan. If Connex-Killen was a country it would rank as the world’s twenty-third largest economy, and antitrust regulators at the DOJ have concerns. A Washington, D.C.-based law firm headed by Dean Whiting is hired to smooth the way for the merger. Bennett Holiday is assigned to promote the impression of due diligence to the DOJ, deflecting any allegations of corruption.

Director: Stephen Gaghan

Writers: Stephen Gaghan, Robert Baer (book)

Stars: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Amanda Peet, Tim Blake Nelson, Mark Strong, Alexander Siddig, Amr Waked

Cast:

Kayvan NovakArash
George ClooneyBob Barnes
Amr WakedMohammed Sheik Agiza
Christopher PlummerDean Whiting
Jeffrey WrightBennett Holiday
Chris CooperJimmy Pope
Robert FoxworthTommy Barton
Nicky HensonSydney Hewitt
Nicholas ArtRiley Woodman
Matt DamonBryan Woodman
Amanda PeetJulie Woodman
Steven HinkleMax Woodman
Daisy TorméRebecca
Peter GeretyLeland Janus
Richard LinternBryan’s Boss
Jocelyn QuivrinVincent
Mazhar MunirWasim Khan
Shahid AhmedSaleem Ahmed Khan
Bikram Singh BhamraPakistani Translator
Roger YuanChinese Engineer
Jayne AtkinsonDivision Chief
Tom McCarthyFred Franks
Jamey SheridanTerry
Randall BoffmanDistinguished Gentleman #1
Tony FrenchDistinguished Gentleman #2
Max MinghellaRobby Barnes
Katie FosterNervous Daughter
Nadim SawalhaEmir Hamed Al-Subaai
Alexander SiddigPrince Nasir Al-Subaai
Ozzie YueChinese Oil Executive
Akbar KurthaPrince Meshal Al-Subaai
Sonnell DadralFarooq
Jon Lee AndersonSelf
Othman Bin HendiArab Businessman
Bashar AtiyatNasir’s Aide
Ali Al AmineOlder Kid at Pool
William Charles MitchellBennett Holiday Sr.
Tim Blake NelsonDanny Dalton
Ahmed Aa MohammedAbu Khalifa
Ahmed AyoubPakistani Teenager #1
Mohammed Asad KhanPakistani Teenager #2
Atta Mohammed SalehOld Man
Aziz ZaccaPoliceman
David ClennonDonald
Omar MostafaThe Cleric
Saïd AmadisReza Reyhani
David J. MannersEgypt Bureau Chief
Jamil JabbarSupplicant
Badria TimimiNasir’s Wife
William HurtStan
Mohamed MajdSaid Hossein Hashimi
Mark StrongMussawi
Driss RoukheGuard
Katherine Hoskins MackeyParalegal
Linda E. WilliamsParalegal
Susan AllenbackParalegal #1
William L. ThomasParalegal #2
El Mahjoub RajiHashimi’s Man
Michael Stone ForrestCIA Security Officer #1
Robert BaerCIA Security Officer #2
Fritz MichelHotel Security Guard
Bob FajkowskiSecretary of Defense
Jeff BakerTommy’s Lawyer
Tarik TamzaliNasir’s Secretary
Mitesh SoniMartyr
Susan DuvallAssistant at CIA
Nabeel NomanBedouin Leader
Ryan MurphyDrone Tech
Will McCormackWilly
Donna MitchellPat Janus
Jim PlannetteConnex Functionary
Michael AllinsonSir David
Brian Eric AlexanderWaiter
Tex AllenCIA Division Supervisor
Matt CannonStudent
Tom CutlerLawyer
Viola DavisCIA Chairwoman
Bruce Allen DawsonOil Executive
Jeff ElmoreCIA Bureau Chief
Paul FahrenkopfOil Baron
Alan GatesBar Patron
Tyler GattonChurchgoer
Anna GeorgeReza’s Sister
Donald ImmUniformed Secret Service Agent
Wendy KushWitness
Kirk LambertCIA Bureau Chief
Charles McClellandOil Executive
Kerry MeushawCIA Agent
David MichieHome Seal Security Guard (voice)
Lauren MiniteRestaurant Girl
Mike MonroeLawyer
Andres Perez-MolinaYacht Dinner Guest
Vito PietanzaHotel Waiter
Johnny PitrelliU.S. Marshal
Elena RosaCIA Operations Specialist
Susan Halsey SingerMother
Bahar SoomekhYassi
Sally SpaideCIA Agent
Alexander von RoonBloomberg Reporter
Don WhatleyBystander

Sources: imdb & wikipedia

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *