Detailed ”Syriana” synopsis (SPOILERS!)

Prince Nasir (Alexander Siddig) is the reform-minded son of an aging emir. He has ideas, like letting China get a lucrative oil contract, instead of simply allowing an American oil monopoly. He also wants to modernize his country economically and socially. His brother is a playboy who will just do the American oil companies’ bidding. Unfortunately, the aging emir chooses the playboy as his heir.

Meanwhile, in the United States, there is to be a large merger between two oil companies. Connex and Killen hope that the merger will allow them to have a virtual oil monopoly in oil-rich countries, and also to tap into countries that have oil but are not major exporters, like Kazakstan. Bennet Holiday (Jeffrey Wright) is the lawyer in charge of “investigating” (aka approving) the merger. Bennet is under enormous pressure both from his boss Dean Whiting (Christopher Plummer) and the oil companies to approve the merger. Chris Cooper plays the oil exec who schmoozes Bennet. Bennet ends up finding corruption, but he is “convinced” to make them seem minor so the merger can go through.
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