Directed by: Stephen Gaghan Main Cast: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Jeffrey Wright, Chris Cooper
Summary: A political thriller that unfolds against the intrigue of the global oil industry. From the players brokering back-room deals in Washington to the men toiling in the oil fields of the Persian Gulf, the film's multiple storylines weave together to illuminate the human consequences of the fierce pursuit of wealth and power.
As a career CIA operative (George Clooney) begins to uncover the disturbing truth about the work he has devoted his life to, an up-and-coming oil broker (Matt Damon) faces an unimaginable family tragedy and finds redemption in his partnership with an idealistic Gulf prince (Alexander Siddig).
A corporate lawyer (Jeffrey Wright) faces a moral dilemma as he finesses the questionable merger of two powerful U.S. oil companies, while across the globe, a disenfranchised Pakistani teenager (Mazhar Munir) falls prey to the recruiting efforts of a charismatic cleric.
Each plays their small part in the vast and complex system that powers the industry, unaware of the explosive impact their lives will have upon the world.
Review: I had average expectations going into this one. I knew that it would probably be heavily influenced by Traffic, which it was, but this wasn't necesarily a bad thing, as Traffic is one of my top 10 favorite films of all time.
Stephen Gaghan, taking both the writing and directing chairs this time around, as opposed to just having written Traffic, opted not to use the color filters that I thought gave Traffic an especially unique feel and look to not only its cinematography, but the film as a whole. Gaghan did decide to go with a storytelling format that leaves the viewer with no true idea of who our main character is.
I wasn't opposed to having the interweaving storylines, and I felt like I was able to effectively decipher the plot through some confusion. The only storyline I didnt really like was one that focused on a young Arab boy who is put out of a job and is eventually persuaded to join a terrorist cult of sorts. This part of the story dragged a bit and didn't truly get interesting until its conclusion. I thought George Clooney did a good job, nothing that he'll be remembered for or anything, but still a solid performance.
Matt Damon seemed to shine I thought, as an emotionally distraught financial advisor for a large oil company. He was really allowed to show his full range of emotions, whereas some of the other cast were somewhat stifled in their steely-faced characters I felt. The music was a somewhat negative aspect for me, as I felt Gaghan tried to replicate Michael Mann and Steven Soderbergh's use of strange, echoey, atmospheric type music, but ended up with a score that sometimes sounded like something out of a bad action movie.
This is ultimately a film that I could probably only watch once or twice before taking a long break from it, considering the complicated storyline and semi-boring subject matter
Still a solid effort though, and I'll definetly be checking out anything further that Stephen Gaghan directs.
Direction – 17/20 Acting – 18/20 Story – 11/15 Rewatchability – 12/15 Music – 7/10 Depth – 10/10 Cinematography – 4/5 Supporting Cast – 4/5 TOTAL = 83%
83% = 3.5/5 Stars
Best Quote: "You want to know what the business world thinks of you? We think a hundred years ago you were living out here in tents in the desert chopping each others head's off, and that's exactly where you're gonna be in another hundred. So yes, on behalf of my firm, I accept your money."
