[DantesPeak]

Rolling Stone has a good review of this movie in its magazine. The shortened version of this review is available online.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'G')eorge Clooney has his own take on Syriana, the hot potato he executive-produced and in which he stars as Bob Barnes, a CIA agent caught in the twisting, toxic tentacles of Big Oil: "It's going to get us in a lot of trouble." Let's hope so. Why toss a political grenade into the multiplex if you don't expect scorched earth? Syriana, written and directed in a fever of risk-taking provocation by Stephen Gaghan, takes off with the lightning speed of a thriller, the gonzo force of frontline journalism and the emotional wallop of a drama that puts a human face on shocking statistics. Global oil corruption has seeped into every facet of our lives, from the collusion of White House and business interests in the Persian Gulf to the financial squeeze we all feel just pumping gas. No dry civics lesson, this fighting-mad film isn't just hot, it's incendiary. And no one gets off the hook. You see it with the exhilarating feeling that a movie can make a difference.

[sameu]

so were can I download it
I'm going to see it anyway in the cinema
but it's just I can't wait

[Leanan]

The kids around here all seem to be using Shareza.

BTW, check this out. There's a web site that's tying campaigns for social and political change to movies. They are planning one for Syriana:

http://www.participate.net/oilchange


$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'O')il addiction. It saps America's economic strength, pollutes our environment, and jeopardizes national security. We need to break that addiction. We already have the technology to get off oil, like hybrid cars and renewable energy. It all begins with the choices we make as individuals. Instead of oil dependence, let's choose Oil Change!

[grinchmob]

http://syrianamovie.warnerbros.com/

George Clooney and Matt Damon star in this movie which opens December 9th. It's supposed to be a pretty good movie about the politics of oil.

Here's one of the reviews:
http://movies2.nytimes.com/2005/11/23/m ... 3syri.html

[mididoctors]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('grinchmob', 'h')ttp://syrianamovie.warnerbros.com/

George Clooney and Matt Damon star in this movie which opens December 9th. It's supposed to be a pretty good movie about the politics of oil.

Here's one of the reviews:
http://movies2.nytimes.com/2005/11/23/m ... 3syri.html

[UIUCstudent01]

The MP3

It's a VERY good listen. I especially liked the parts describing the real life corruption and stuff... how politicians and CIA just tend to pass it off as normal occurences...

It kinda reminds me of the instance where the Oil CEO's were allowed to not take the Oath when they were in the hearing before the senate or somesuch recently.

Crazy crazy stuff.

[ashurbanipal]

I happen to be in Tulsa, Oklahoma, this evening (business, not pleasure) and decided to go see this after I got off work. Guess what? It's not showing anywhere. Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised with all the refineries and such around.

[marksolino]

It's only playing in select cities (i.e. NY and LA) now. It opens widely on Friday, December 9th.

[UIUCstudent01]

If anybody is wondering where I got it, it's on the main website commercial thing.

Here

The trailer automatically downloads and plays.

[EnviroEngr]

http://www.peakoil.com/post223872.html#223872

http://www.participate.net/node/545

[RdSnt]

The movie is excellent, even if it is terribly depressing.

[NeoPeasant]

Syriana is opening today nationwide. I'm planning to take the bus to the megaplex tomorrow and catch the early matinee.

From the trailer, and the reviews I've seen, the movie says almost nothing about depletion. It looks like it's all about politics and bad people in the oil business. Is this movie going to do anything to motivate the public to try to reduce oil dependence?

[bobcousins]

Have you seen the website?

Apparently the guy behind Participant productions is eBay billionaire Jeff Skoll. The premise is that movies can inspire people to act. That is true, but whether the Hollywood comic-book fantasy genre of film making will be able to do that is another question.

[NeoPeasant]

I'm afraid most will go home with the idea <i><b>Okay, there's a lot of evil and injustice involved in supplying gas for my Escalade, but as long as it doesn't affect me directly I'm OK with that.</i></b> They won't appreciate that depletion means mere evil won't suffice to keep them gassed up in the future.

[RdSnt]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('NeoPeasant', 'I')'m afraid most will go home with the idea <i><b>Okay, there's a lot of evil and injustice involved in supplying gas for my Escalade, but as long as it doesn't affect me directly I'm OK with that.</i></b> They won't appreciate that depletion means mere evil won't suffice to keep them gassed up in the future.

[GrizzAdams]

I am skeptical to see how the movie will turn out. After all, we all seen what Hollywood did with global warming.

[some_guy282]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('NeoPeasant', 'I')'m afraid most will go home with the idea <i><b>Okay, there's a lot of evil and injustice involved in supplying gas for my Escalade, but as long as it doesn't affect me directly I'm OK with that.</i></b> They won't appreciate that depletion means mere evil won't suffice to keep them gassed up in the future.

[maya]

way to get involved!
http://www.postcarbon.org/syriana

[Revi]

I just saw the movie this morning. Very interesting with 4 plots which all converge. You can see how the average person gets used in an oily agenda. An American derivatives trader, a black lawyer, a CIA agent and a Pakistani guest worker all are used by the system that ultimately delivers oil to us. The average person may not understand the peak oil references that were peppered through the movie. Matt Damon, the young American, says that the oil game is almost over and that the Middle east holds 90% of the world's oil. I'm afraid that may not register with the average movie goer.
We went to the mall to see the movie and when we emerged we were in a vast sea of cars jostling for a place to park. It struck me as strange. People were just dying to spend their money on the products there. The cars were circling looking for parking spaces. Maybe Syriana will help people to understand that this stuff comes with a price. Maybe.

[entropyfails]

I just caught George Clooney's new flick "Syriana" last night. It's an excellent film that portrays to the average person what lengths the US government goes to in order to secure energy supplies. Thought loosely based on the Baer book, it ends up being more of a thought piece on how our addiction to oil leads us to ignore the corruption that securing that oil causes. The film has a real life appeal, mixing a slow pace with moments of terror and surprise. It also presents the sort of back handed deals with corrupt governments and large energy mergers against a storyline involving justice, corruption, assassinations, and political intrigue that serve as the hallmark of the international energy business. It does a great job of layering the story together and keeps you guess at what will happen next. The story has may threads with a wide variety of characters so it end up being a mentally engaging film as well.

Though you personally have an obvious interest in the subject matter by virtue of your presence here, I would even still highly recommend this film to anyone in general. Take some uninformed friends along and you may find a hook to engage them in a discussion of whatever point of view you hold.

So enjoy!