Syriana
Warner Bros. Pictures | Release Date: November 23, 2005
7.7
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 392 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
288
Mixed:
50
Negative:
54
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
1
JonC.Nov 3, 2007
One of two movies I have ever fallen asleep in.
0 of 1 users found this helpful
3
SarahR.May 12, 2007
This movie is trying too hard to be impressive, and it succeeds only in being confusing. I waited 2+ hours for the ah-ha moment. Clooney on his pseudo-intellectual soap box. Ick.
0 of 1 users found this helpful
1
DougB.Feb 17, 2008
No entertainment value. Slow and confusing. I feel I was ripped off. I am going to hesitate to see any more movies with George Clooney.
0 of 1 users found this helpful
3
adamSv94Feb 28, 2013
It was really hard to enjoy this movie since the plot didn't make any sense and the characters were way too many to keep track of. The only bright spot in this movie is George Clooney's acting, eventhough I whish that the Oscar for BestIt was really hard to enjoy this movie since the plot didn't make any sense and the characters were way too many to keep track of. The only bright spot in this movie is George Clooney's acting, eventhough I whish that the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor should have gone to Jake Gyllenhaal.… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
All this user's reviews
2
stephenh.Jan 7, 2006
Complete waste of time. Totally incrutable plot. Kept hoping it would come together at the end, after working very hard to follow, but it never did. Complete mystery and I am no dummy.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
3
DuncanS.Jan 9, 2006
By not providing a coherent storyline the film is free to indulge in vague and not so vague political insinuations and to emotionally manipulate. With it's impenatrable plot, the viewer is unable to evaluate the premises or the By not providing a coherent storyline the film is free to indulge in vague and not so vague political insinuations and to emotionally manipulate. With it's impenatrable plot, the viewer is unable to evaluate the premises or the particulars of the film's unsubtle point of view. In other words, the true believer can smugly turn off his or her brain during the proceedings. All in all, a cowardly propaganda fantasy and a waste of talented actors and craftspeople.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
3
ThomasDec 10, 2005
Movie jumps all over the place, making it difficult to follow and understand. Should have been a documentary instead of a feature film. Pretty boring movie, don't waste your money.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
2
BobJan 16, 2006
This movie is a mess. It seems like they are going to tie all this together at the end but the movie just stops leaving any number of plot parts hanging. I think the agenda of the filmmakers got in the way of what could have been a good film.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
3
DianaT.Feb 19, 2006
a plot that is impossible to follow, detect, comprehend, apprehend.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
1
PhilipG.Feb 28, 2006
Clooney is good but movie makes no sense and no point. Anybody could make a confusing movie.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
1
MarilynZ.Mar 2, 2006
If we were by ourselves, I would have walked out. What a convoluted mess. I finally gave up and tried to enjoy George.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
1
MalikK.Mar 2, 2006
too many sub characters. i fell asleep several times. the ending was like being hanged and not knowing why
0 of 0 users found this helpful
3
JuliaW.Mar 9, 2007
The incomprehensibility of the editing ruins what could be a fine film.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
CindyA.Dec 14, 2005
I just saw this movie tonight and what a waste of money. It was the worst movie I have EVER seen!!
0 of 0 users found this helpful
2
RobertDec 10, 2005
A real snoozer,i know this is not what the reviewers are saying,but this film had alot to say,and not a good job telling the story--Disjointed! I was expecting more.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
ArnoldH.Dec 3, 2005
The most incoherent two hours in movie history. Stereotypes, not flesh and blood characters. Unconcving plot developments. A true must-miss.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
1
DennisDec 7, 2005
A reel bore bomb.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
1
MichaelW.Dec 9, 2005
Although "Syriana" deals with important issues, its utter incomprehensibility makes it a failure. I was warned by several reviews that it is difficult to follow, but the confused and impenetrable script negate any interest and value this movie has.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
JeffA.Jan 10, 2006
The most overrated movie of all time! What a waste of a wonderful cast. I got all my friends in free since my buddy manages local regal and they were still sick about it. I feel bad for bringin them out to this disaster. Please read the user The most overrated movie of all time! What a waste of a wonderful cast. I got all my friends in free since my buddy manages local regal and they were still sick about it. I feel bad for bringin them out to this disaster. Please read the user reviews and not the critics on this site. They are all crooks tryin to get your hard earned cash. I love this site, but I have wasted alot of time and money since I have been on here. For example Sideways 94, Before Sunset 90, Brokeback Mountan 87, Constant Gardener 82, Broken Flowers 79, and of course Syriana 76. Please take the time to research a movie before you waste your lover's time. Or even worse is your friend's time, they seem to be alot more critical and less forgiving. I wish you all better luck than me. LOL… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
1
BillW.Mar 25, 2006
"Thriller" is a misnomer--there are about 3 minutes of thrill in this painfully long-seeming 126 minute muddled mess. I believe its main problem is that the screenwriter and director have no clue about how to use film as a storytelling "Thriller" is a misnomer--there are about 3 minutes of thrill in this painfully long-seeming 126 minute muddled mess. I believe its main problem is that the screenwriter and director have no clue about how to use film as a storytelling medium--it is "talking heads" from beginning to end. No showing instead of telling here. Also, many scenes have little to do with the story and could have been replaced with material that helps clarifiy the overly difficult to follow plot. One reviewer simply said the filrm was self-important--this subtle aura also plagued me all through the movie, that feeling of "artiste" consumed so much with his own talent and insight that he forgets the basic principles of cinematic entertainment. As another user said, this should have been a documentary. I wish the critics would rate films on their entertainment value and not on the (perceived) social value. When we, as customers, dish out hard-earned cash for a film that's dubbed "political thriller," we want to be entertained first, everything else second. If they fail tot entertain, they have ripped us off.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
2
[Anonymous]Mar 4, 2006
I was prepared for this film to be hard to follow. What I found unforgivable is that it was boring.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
BCApr 1, 2006
There sure are parts of this movie I love. I love being able to make fun of it. I love that I now can refer ro something as the WORST MOVIE EVER MADE. This is, without a doubt, the most boing and lenthy movie ever. My friend fell asleep There sure are parts of this movie I love. I love being able to make fun of it. I love that I now can refer ro something as the WORST MOVIE EVER MADE. This is, without a doubt, the most boing and lenthy movie ever. My friend fell asleep watching it. George Clooney was, like usual, a good actor, and his acting was the only good thing in the movie. There is so much plot it is utterly impossible to follow. There are at least four storylines going on at once and they are barely connected to one another. I strongly urge anyone who is thinking of watching this to just walk away.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
2
FredB.Jul 29, 2006
Read the reviews: even the high ratings use the words "convoluted," "confusing," "complex." Many viewers admit they had to view the movie 2-3 times to understand it. Who needs that! The plot jumps randomly from place to place (a dozen or Read the reviews: even the high ratings use the words "convoluted," "confusing," "complex." Many viewers admit they had to view the movie 2-3 times to understand it. Who needs that! The plot jumps randomly from place to place (a dozen or more of them) with different characters, leaving you totally confused as to what we are leading up to. And when we "get there," we're nowhere -- a series of head-scratching "who are those guys" and "what does that have to do with anything"! And, in my opinion, this is not the type of role that George Clooney should undertake: his performance (as well as the movie as a whole) was boring. Don't waste your rental dollars on this one, unless you love movies with very complex plots.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
WillieG.Jul 6, 2006
This was a bloated head scratcher of a film. I need to just boycott future films from this director. I loathed Traffic, and this flick was just more of the same convoluted mess. I truly recognize this director's style now...1) introduce This was a bloated head scratcher of a film. I need to just boycott future films from this director. I loathed Traffic, and this flick was just more of the same convoluted mess. I truly recognize this director's style now...1) introduce lots of characters with little to no development, weave an endlessly sprawling and confusing plot, and then leave the viewer to consider tons of loose ends and contrived motivations without any adequate development whatsoever.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
2
CocoBunnyJun 24, 2009
Clooney's performance is the only thing I really enjoyed about this movie. Aside from that, it was a confusing, self-important mishmash of plot lines that was simply too much information for one movie. I felt like they were trying Clooney's performance is the only thing I really enjoyed about this movie. Aside from that, it was a confusing, self-important mishmash of plot lines that was simply too much information for one movie. I felt like they were trying harder to beat me over the head with a political message than they were to deliver a good story. This film simply doesn't deserve all the praise that it's been given. While there's an interesting story somewhere down in there, it's covered up with so much other stuff that you hardly notice it here. This could have easily been stretched out into a series, or at least laid out in a way that was easier to follow.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
SeanP.Dec 10, 2005
This is by far the worst movie i have ever seen. I would have walked out and tried to get my money back, but i assumed the movie just had a slow start. So i stayed for the whole movie and greatly regretted it. There is absolutely no storyThis is by far the worst movie i have ever seen. I would have walked out and tried to get my money back, but i assumed the movie just had a slow start. So i stayed for the whole movie and greatly regretted it. There is absolutely no story involved. I would have rather watched the nightly news for two hours straight and gotten more out of it. Save yourself the time and money and stay home. This movie truly earns the zero rating i gave it.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
SusanM.Dec 12, 2005
I have so many bad things to say about this movie...first of all, the person who said "If you liked Traffic you'll like Syriana" was 100% wrong. I liked Traffic a lot, and this movie was just plain lousy. This movie is so thick with oil I have so many bad things to say about this movie...first of all, the person who said "If you liked Traffic you'll like Syriana" was 100% wrong. I liked Traffic a lot, and this movie was just plain lousy. This movie is so thick with oil industry lingo that it lost me right away...in the trailer, it looked like it would be action-packed, well let me tell you it's not! It's 99% talking and 1% action. It tried to make some kind of statement about the corruption in the oil industry, while telling something about the lives of those involved. Well, it TOTALLY failed because I didn't walk away pissed off at oil companies, I walked away pissed off at everyone involed in making the movie, for wasting 2 hours of my time. This is not an enjoyable movie, the story goes nowhere and the characters don't matter and it never makes it's point. Trust me, spend your time watching paint dry, you'll have more fun.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
AnnDec 13, 2005
This is a film only a mother of the director could love. It is very difficult to follow as it jumps from storyline to storyline all with predictable results. Business as usual with America the bad guy as we are responsible for creating This is a film only a mother of the director could love. It is very difficult to follow as it jumps from storyline to storyline all with predictable results. Business as usual with America the bad guy as we are responsible for creating terrorists, oil at all costs to drive our engine, and corruption in all facets of government and coroporations. Ho-hum. Not much character development if at all. The audience walked out shaking its collective heads. Not worthy of your time or money.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
2
ChapS.Dec 22, 2005
Please do not waste your time watching this movie. I still do not understand what this movie was about. It is a jumbled up mess that makes no attempt to "come together" at the end or even make some larger point. The only thing I could glean Please do not waste your time watching this movie. I still do not understand what this movie was about. It is a jumbled up mess that makes no attempt to "come together" at the end or even make some larger point. The only thing I could glean from this movie is that big corporations are evil (please tell me something I don't already know). I'm sorry I didn't just walk out of this movie half-way through. The only reason that I can figure out why this move got such a good metacritic score is that reviewers are too embarrassed to admit that they have no idea what this movie is about either.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
3
OrsonO.Dec 29, 2005
Yes, this is an ambitious, four plot-line film; yes, it's about Big Oil (while we have predisdent closely connected to oil, as must be from Texas - traditionally, out biggest oil producer - who none the less was only 'small' Yes, this is an ambitious, four plot-line film; yes, it's about Big Oil (while we have predisdent closely connected to oil, as must be from Texas - traditionally, out biggest oil producer - who none the less was only 'small' oil, critics always miss). But none of this saves it from confusing marrative arc, mysterious motivation (right down to the Paki-Jihadi - haven't the writers heard of Koran memorization in Madrassa's?), tendentious slant, and a miscast Matt Damon. It's still a boring film (made me wish I was reading instead)! In fact, even big oil is only moderately profitable industry (7% - newspapers make more than double that). And big business has been in declining share of the US economy since Reagan. (I'm so scared.) There's more suspense in reading blogs than sitting for the sad, pretentious, "Syriana." Only Michale Moore-on's imbued with self-righeousness against Bush/Chamey/Chimp/Hitler/Hallitburton/"It's all about oil!" (pick any malicious stereotype - one's as good [and bad] as any other) and Green voting Ralph Nader lovers (ie, most of my neighbors and friends in BOulder, CO). Even I'll get more out of reading The Nation than watching this pablum trumped up as 'mystery.' Naturally, this screenplay was hived off the only section of a book that could be spun against the Right! Baer's book, by a former CIA operative, was really about how much we - as a nation - have lost by having abandoned human intelligence for safe and dull hi-tech surveillance. You won't find any of that message on film - how convenient. This has been a horrible movie season - even summer was better! And an aweful year - I've walked out on three films, a record for me - and this and 'Munich' were two, both December releases. Now, tell me: it's four years since 9/11, and the only one to approach terrorism seriously, even tangentially, was the viscerally satisfying 'B' picture "Red Eye." HOW COME ALLL THE BEST FILMS ABOUT TERRORISM WERE MADE IN THE CLINTON YEARS? Because Hollywood has abandoned AmeriKa for...for what exactly? Get a clue!!! We want believable villains and conflicts relevant to today! Just reading up on Big Oil, I notivce that Canada has now supplanted Iraq for #2 rank in proven world oil reserves. Now, if syriana had been set in Alberta, and we could all lauch at the Canucks about Aermican intrigue, maybe then it would have been entertaining enough to sit through. But Hollywood can't get over recycling old myths (the conspriacy behind "Three Days of The Condor") as cliches, instead of facing up to new realities (eg, Jihadi's do just want us dead because we are free to be wealthy and libertines and live to smite Allah - Bin Laden says so).… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
1
KellyG.Dec 9, 2005
Too self important.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
1
V.MartinezDec 9, 2005
This movie should have 'Plot/Character Guides' given out at the entrance of the movie (kinda like 3D glasses). I would have walked out, but I paid $8.50 (remember, if you check your watch in a movie or you fall asleep, then it This movie should have 'Plot/Character Guides' given out at the entrance of the movie (kinda like 3D glasses). I would have walked out, but I paid $8.50 (remember, if you check your watch in a movie or you fall asleep, then it sucks). I'd say about 12 characters with 5 different stories going on at the same time (i.e. 60 scenarios). A circus act with the clowns juggling plots, characters, jerky video, anti-Big Oil cliches, CIA coverups, family crises, etc. In short, wait until it's out on DVD( and take 'Syriana 101' at your community college). P.S. The '1' star is to bring down the accolades, sorry.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
2
TimJan 16, 2006
Very disappointing movie. After watching the trailer I was excited to hopefully see a good political thriller. Well, this movie was all political but there was no thrill. It felt like I was sitting in my seat for 3 hours before anything Very disappointing movie. After watching the trailer I was excited to hopefully see a good political thriller. Well, this movie was all political but there was no thrill. It felt like I was sitting in my seat for 3 hours before anything really meaningful happened. All the old white men looked the same and you could never get a grasp on what their names were. So if they weren't in the scene but were being talked about, you have no idea what was going on. Great cast and acting but terrible script and so much waste of screen time. No point to the opening family scene which lasted way too long. No point to seeing a Bob leave a tip. So many times this happened. I only need to see something happening on screen that affects the story. So much wasted time. I would definitely not suggest seeing this film. It was a great concept but terribly poor execution.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
CarmineA.Jun 24, 2007
Terrible almost far-left propoganda. Clooney preaches this stuff and then hops in his luxury car feeled with the "corrupt" oil. The directors and Clooney are nothing more then spoiled hollywood actors that want a cause to belong to. This is Terrible almost far-left propoganda. Clooney preaches this stuff and then hops in his luxury car feeled with the "corrupt" oil. The directors and Clooney are nothing more then spoiled hollywood actors that want a cause to belong to. This is the moral of the story: America: awful/immoral/evil country that cares about businees more then human lives. Saudi sheiks : good hearted, caring people who are being used by America. Suicide bombers: misunderstood kids who are really good people its just that America screws them over. Conclusion: Death to America, Long-live Muslim totalitarianism, suice bombers are good-hearted people.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
BaconS.Nov 4, 2009
Worst movie ever. It took jumping the shark into outer space. No country, especially the US, is going to fire a missile against a foreign country to save oil profits for a company. Absurd. But perfectly fine for conspiracy theorist. Most of Worst movie ever. It took jumping the shark into outer space. No country, especially the US, is going to fire a missile against a foreign country to save oil profits for a company. Absurd. But perfectly fine for conspiracy theorist. Most of the places it was saying something took place is either wrong or confusing and has nothing to do with anything except drag the story.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
1
JohnB.Dec 11, 2005
The fact that this film got so many good reviews is really amazing! It's a totally absurd attempt to explain the big oil conspiracy, the source of terrorism and the inner workings of the CIA. It fails on all counts, basically because The fact that this film got so many good reviews is really amazing! It's a totally absurd attempt to explain the big oil conspiracy, the source of terrorism and the inner workings of the CIA. It fails on all counts, basically because the story is so flawed. It's confusing, totally unplausible and, worst of all-boring. You wonder why movie attendance is down? After spending eight bucks and two hours on this farce, i think I know why.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
FantasyDec 13, 2005
What a disappointment. Just awful. Avoid at all costs.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
3
cousinrkDec 15, 2005
One of the most disapointing films of the year. I loved Traffic and was expecting more of the same here. What I found was a convoluted movie that felt more like watching a boring CNN documentary on Oil and Gas than an interesting film. The One of the most disapointing films of the year. I loved Traffic and was expecting more of the same here. What I found was a convoluted movie that felt more like watching a boring CNN documentary on Oil and Gas than an interesting film. The fact is it wasn't entertaining at all. You spend so much time trying to figure everything out that it becomes hard to enjoy yourself.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
PeteP.Dec 29, 2005
Worst movie I've seen this year.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
3
PZJNov 29, 2014
Not a great movie. People say it's intellectual but it's just not that deep of a movie. Yes, it has some deeper themes than your typical hollywood movie but that's not a high bar. The movie follows too many characters with disparate stories,Not a great movie. People say it's intellectual but it's just not that deep of a movie. Yes, it has some deeper themes than your typical hollywood movie but that's not a high bar. The movie follows too many characters with disparate stories, which is what requires the attention and ability to connect plot lines, but you never get to know any of them well enough to care about what happens to anybody.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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3
mc042Mar 20, 2018
I expect to know what the movie is about after watching it for more than two hours.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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3
FilipeNetoNov 28, 2020
Honestly, I was waiting for something more about this film. Having been directed and written by Stephen Gaghan, an Oscar winner for his work as a screenwriter, and with names as great as George Clooney and Matt Damon, I thought it would be aHonestly, I was waiting for something more about this film. Having been directed and written by Stephen Gaghan, an Oscar winner for his work as a screenwriter, and with names as great as George Clooney and Matt Damon, I thought it would be a much better and more interesting film than it turned out to be.

The problem with this film, for me, was the overly ambitious script. The film crosses a series of stories that have in common the connection with oil, and the political, economic and interest games that are behind it: it all starts with a power conflict between two brothers, sons of a sheik. One is incapable, but is willing to allow the country's oil to be controlled by foreign companies, while the other wants to control the oil and use it for the benefit of the kingdom. When an American company is passed over by a Chinese consortium that has submitted a better offer, the United States decides to step in and send a CIA agent to the field. There is also a subplot involving a group of immigrant workers and other details to take into account. Gaghan wanted to take a step higher than his own legs and was unable to rise to the challenge he imposed on himself. The way he did the script was not happy and resulted in a disconnected, dispersed and confused story. At one point, I no longer knew the link between the characters and what was at stake, and I had to make an effort not to lose the thread. The film also makes a series of criticisms of the way oil is poorly managed as a resource and the number of conflicts on its behalf, but this turned out to be the most interesting and understandable part of the film.

The cast has strong names, but they are affected by the poor construction of their characters and the bland and uninteresting story. The connection between the characters and the audience is scarce: I just managed to have some sympathy for the reformist prince, it was the character that touched me the most and was very well played by Alexander Siddig, one of the less notable names in the film. George Clooney is another great actor and the film earned him the only Oscar he won as such (Best Supporting Actor), but it was hard for me to understand what he was doing here and, to be honest, I found it a bleak and uninteresting performance, especially if we think of other incredible films he entered ("Ocean's Eleven", "Monuments Men" etc.). The same can be said of Matt Damon, who has the strangest character in the film: a businessman who, after losing a son in an accident at the Arab prince's house, is hired by him as a form of compensation and ends up becoming his friend. There are many moral issues surrounding this subplot, and we could almost accuse this character of rising in life at the expense of the death of her own son. Indifferent to everything, Damon leaves us a bland and dormant performance. Christopher Plummer, William Hurt, Chris Cooper and Jeffrey Wright also appear in the film and do a decent job, but it is not the right film to shine and there is not much they can do to save it.

The film does not seem technically brilliant. Cinematography is good, but neither surprising nor enchanting. The sets and costumes are good and realistic, the use of real sets and filming on location was a welcome bonus, which brings an additional dose of realism and credibility. The effects used are good enough, but just that. The pace is good, and it is not because it is more than two hours length that it becomes boring. There are some intense scenes, and that includes the death of a child in an accident and a very realistic and very well done torture scene. For me, these scenes were also a bonus, as well as the use of the Arabic language, rarely used in cinema.… Expand
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