Almost every review of this movie has been unclear to me, so if the plot of Syriana is still blurry to you, allow me to provide the spectacles.Simply put: where there's oil/petroleum, there's money. So, it's just a matter of different countries getting to the source, pumping it, refining it, and then giving it to other countries. Whoever gets the most oil has the most power and money.
The main character is a CIA operative/agent named Robert Barnes (Clooney). You also have a Bryan Woodman (Damon), an energy analyst; a Washington attorney (Wright) called Dean Whiting; a migrant worker from Pakistan (Munir). Okay, these are the main characters.
Now, what the heck is the plot? Everyone knows there's a bunch of oil in the Middle East. So, we (America) try to make deals with countries (in this movie, it's the al-Subaai family) over there to get us some oil. Makes sense. But we're not the only country trying to make deals. In the movie, China is getting 'rights' to drill in fields that the Middle East used to give to us. The American company hurt the most by this is Connex.
So, Prince Nasir (who is a foreign minister for 'the family') gives China the rights to drill that used to belong to Connex. The next logical step is for Connex to merge with another company, so it's not as weak: this company is Killen - Killen has rights to drill in Kazakhstan. So, if there's a merger, then Connex can drill in Kazakhstan. Now we have the Connex-Killen monster, with the 23rd biggest economy.
Now, we have 'regulators' at the Department of Justice who are getting nervous. In their way is a law firm in Washington that wants to make the merger happen with no speed-bumps. So poor Bennett Holiday (who works for the firm) has the job of trying to convince 'the regulators' that nothing illegal is going on, even though he knows there probably is.
Enter Bryan Woodman (Damon), the energy analyst. Remember the al-Subaai family? Well, Woodman is trying to offer them his services. The problem is that the al-Subaai family is busy trying to give their services to China. There's also the tragic incident involving Woodman's son jumping into a pool (a live wire - in a crack in the pool - sends a current through the water) being electrocuted to death. So, you have all the personal stuff involved in that.
The only good that comes of that is that Prince Nasir has compassion on Woodman, and makes him his economic adviser. Prince Nasir is a good guy; he's for reform, since his dad was repressive. Nasir is a democrat; his father was a dictator. But here's the problem: the dad did stuff that was better for American interests. You see the tension? His dad is still the boss, but Prince Nasir wants to eventually take his place and be a more just ruler. However, Prince
Nasir has a little brother just like his dad, so the brother is chosen to lead instead of Prince Nasir. But Prince Nasir doesn't like that, so he is going to lead a coup, which introduces the plot for America to assassinate him!
Enter CIA agent Robert Barnes, the guy who is supposed to assassinate Prince Nasir. Barnes used to stop the Middle East from getting weapons illegally, and assassinate the dealers of that, but he saw something strange. He notices that someone stole a missile: it was supposed to go to Iran, but now it's intended for Egypt. The CIA knows this, of course, but doesn't want Barnes asking any questions, so he gets a desk job, where he's supposed to shut up! But he doesn't, so he gets the assassination job.
Poor Barnes tries to get on Hezbollah's side, so they can help him assassinate the Prince, but runs into Mussawi (who was supposed to be Barnes' mercenary) who tortures Barnes, since Mussawi is an agent from Iran. This makes Barnes pissed, so he wants to tell the world about how the CIA wants to assassinate the Prince, which the CIA doesn't like. So, the CIA tries to make it look like Barnes is disobeying the CIA, acting on his own, which he his, but not for the reason the CIA is implying. Of course, Barnes finally gets to the Prince's convoy to tell him his is in danger, and a missile kills them all! Dang it.
Enter various Connex employees. These stories are about them losing their jobs because of China taking over the drilling rights in the Middle East. That sucks for them because they need money to eat, and they could get deported, because it's either citizenship or you can work for an American company that doesn't care about your citizenship. These guys run into an Islam fanatic, who gives them the assignment to kill themselves while blowing up a Connex-Killen tanker using the missile that Barnes saw (at the beginning of the movie) was stolen.
So, what about Killen? Did they get the rights to drill in Kazakhstan without breaking any laws? Donald Farish III isn't so sure (U.S. Attorney). He thinks Killen bribed somebody. Holiday (the guy who is supposed to convince the Department of Justice that nothing went wrong in the merger) discovers that Danny Dalton (an huge oil man from Texas) gave a whole bunch of money (wire transfer) to Kazakhstan. Uh oh. So, what does Holiday do? Probably what anyone would to - he tells Connex-Killen about it! But they don't care, because they don't want to care, because it'll get them in trouble and they'll lose money, since they're all greedy.
And poor Dalton. Holiday warns him that he'll be charged with corruption, since Connex-Killen needs to get the Department of Justice off them somehow - which Dalton is, since Farish basically made Holiday do it. Then Farish makes Holiday go after Pope (former ex-CEO of Killen).
Holiday and Sydney Hewitt (Holiday's mentor) then meet with now CEO of Connex-Killen, Leland "Lee" Janus. Holiday says he knows Hewitt did some illegal stuff during the merger!!! Oh no! Now Holiday can save Pope, since Hewit is 'higher-up' than Pope, and the Department of Justice will be satisfied with Hewitt going under.
So, Hewitt and Dalton go to jail, and justice is served.
Janus can then get the 'oil man of the year' award with no stress.
Throughout the movie, Holiday has to deal with his grumpy dad, but they reconcile (sort of) by the end of the movie after it's all said and done.
Any clearer?
No comments:
Post a Comment