Syriana (2005)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Stephen Gaghan

Writers (WGA):

Robert Baer (book) (suggestion)
Stephen Gaghan (written by)

Release Date:

9 December 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Everything is connected

Plot:

A politically-charged epic about the state of the oil industry in the hands of those personally involved and affected by it.

Plot Keywords:

Oil | CIA | Oil Company | Pakistani | Immigrant

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 5 wins & 16 nominations

Cast

Kayvan Novak	...	Arash
George Clooney	...	Bob Barnes
Amr Waked	...	Mohammed Sheik Agiza
Christopher Plummer	...	Dean Whiting
Jeffrey Wright	...	Bennett Holiday
Chris Cooper	...	Jimmy Pope
Robert Foxworth	...	Tommy Barton
Nicky Henson	...	Sydney Hewitt
Nicholas Art	...	Riley Woodman
Matt Damon	...	Bryan Woodman
Amanda Peet	...	Julie Woodman
Steven Hinkle	...	Max Woodman
Daisy Tormé	...	Rebecca
Peter Gerety	...	Leland "Lee" Janus
Richard Lintern	...	Bryan's Boss
Jocelyn Quivrin	...	Vincent
Mazhar Munir	...	Wasim Khan
Shahid Ahmed	...	Saleem Ahmed Khan
Bikram Singh Bhamra	...	Pakistani Translator
Roger Yuan	...	Chinese Engineer
Jayne Atkinson	...	Division Chief
Thomas McCarthy	...	Fred Franks (as Tom McCarthy)
Jamey Sheridan	...	Terry
Randall Boffman	...	Distinguished Gentleman #1
Tony French	...	Distinguished Gentleman #2
Max Minghella	...	Robby Barnes
Katie Foster	...	Nervous Daughter
Nadim Sawalha	...	Emir Hamed Al-Subaai
Alexander Siddig	...	Prince Nasir Al-Subaai
Ozzie Yue	...	Chinese Oil Executive
Akbar Kurtha	...	Prince Meshal Al-Subaai
Sonnell Dadral	...	Farooq (as Sonell Dadral)
Jon Lee Anderson	...	Himself
Othman Bin Hendi	...	Arab Businessman
Bashar Atiyat	...	Nasir's Aide (as Bashar H. Atiyat)
Ali Al Amine	...	Older Kid at Pool
William Charles Mitchell	...	Bennett Holiday Sr. (as William C. Mitchell)
Tim Blake Nelson	...	Danny Dalton
Ahmed Aa Mohammed	...	Abu Khalifa
Ahmed Ayoub	...	Pakistani Teenager #1
Mohammed Asad Khan	...	Pakistani Teenager #2
Atta Mohammed Saleh	...	Old Man
Aziz Zacca	...	Policeman
David Clennon	...	Donald
Omar Mostafa	...	The Cleric
Saïd Amadis	...	Reza Reyhani
David J. Manners	...	Egypt Bureau Chief
Jamil Jabbar	...	Supplicant
Badria Timimi	...	Nasir's Wife
William Hurt	...	Stan
Mohamed Majd	...	Said Hossein Hashimi (as Mohammed Majd)
Mark Strong	...	Mussawi
Driss Roukhe	...	Guard
Katherine Hoskins Mackey	...	Paralegal
Linda E. Williams	...	Paralegal
Susan Allenback	...	Paralegal #1 (as Susan Allenbach)
William L. Thomas	...	Paralegal #2
El Mahjoub Raji	...	Hashimi's Man
Michael Stone Forrest	...	CIA Security Officer #1
Robert Baer	...	CIA Security Officer #2 (as Bob Baer)
Fritz Michel	...	Hotel Security Guard
Bob Fajkowski	...	Secretary of Defense
Jeff Baker	...	Tommy's Lawyer
Tarik Tamzali	...	Nasir's Secretary
Mitesh Soni	...	Martyr
Susan Duvall	...	Assistant at CIA (as Tootsie Duvall)
Nabeel Noman	...	Bedouin Leader
Ryan Murphy	...	Drone Tech
Will McCormack	...	Willy
Donna Mitchell	...	Pat Janus
James Plannette	...	Connex Functionary
Michael Allinson	...	Sir David
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tom Cutler	...	Lawyer (uncredited)
Viola Davis	...	CIA Chairwoman (uncredited)
Bruce Allen Dawson	...	Oil Executive (uncredited)
Paul Fahrenkopf	...	Oil Baron (uncredited)
Anna George	...	Reza's Sister (uncredited)
William Gerad Jones	...	Kid in Diner Scene (uncredited)
Wendy Kush	...	Witness (uncredited)
Kirk Lambert	...	CIA Bureau Chief (uncredited)
Charles McClelland	...	Oil Executive (uncredited)
Kerry Meushaw	...	CIA Agent (uncredited)
David Michie	...	Home Seal Security Guard (voice) (uncredited)
J. Matthew Miller	...	Student (uncredited)
Lauren Minite	...	Restaurant Girl (uncredited)
Johnny Pitrelli	...	U.S. Marshal (uncredited)
Bahar Soomekh	...	Yassi (uncredited)
Alexander von Roon	...	Bloomberg Reporter (uncredited)
Don Whatley	...	Bystander (uncredited)

Directed by
Stephen Gaghan

Writing credits (WGA)
Robert Baer		(book "See No Evil: The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA's War on Terrorism") (suggestion)
Stephen Gaghan		(written by)

Produced by
Sarah Bradshaw	....	associate producer
George Clooney	....	executive producer
Ben Cosgrove	....	executive producer
Jennifer Fox	....	producer
Georgia Kacandes	....	producer
Elizabeth Kirkscey	....	associate producer
Shannon Lail	....	associate producer
Michael Nozik	....	producer
Jeff Skoll	....	executive producer
Tim Smythe	....	facilitating producer: Dubai
Steven Soderbergh	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Alexandre Desplat

Cinematography by
Robert Elswit		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Tim Squyres

Casting by
Avy Kaufman
Lora Kennedy
Lucinda Syson

Production Design by
Dan Weil

Art Direction by
Alan Hook
Laurent Ott

Set Decoration by
Olivia Bloch-Lainé
Jan Pascale

Costume Design by
Louise Frogley

Makeup Department
Candice Banks	....	makeup artist
Christine Beveridge	....	makeup department head
Christine Beveridge	....	special makeup effects artist (as Chrissie Beveridge)
Dan Crawley	....	special makeup effects artist
Kay Georgiou	....	hair department head
Charmaine Henninger	....	hair stylist
Mary Kim	....	makeup effects production supervisor
Mary Kim	....	prosthetics creator
Jim Knell	....	production photographer: Captive Audience Productions
Marilyn MacDonald	....	makeup artist
Mark Nieman	....	silicone prosthetic technician
Waldo Sanchez	....	hair department head
Petra Schaumann	....	hair stylist
Brian Sipe	....	special makeup supervisor
Janice Tunnell	....	additional makeup artist
Keith VanderLaan	....	prosthetics creator
Keith VanderLaan	....	special makeup effects creator: Captive Audience Productions
Sherri Bramlett	....	additional hair stylist (uncredited)
James Parr	....	special makeup effects technician (uncredited)

Production Management
Zakaria Alaoui	....	production supervisor
Sarah Bradshaw	....	unit production manager
Omar Chraibi	....	unit manager
Simon Crook	....	location unit manager
Frédéric Delaloye	....	assistant unit manager
Christopher Granier-Deferre	....	production manager: Geneva
Kevin Jenkins	....	unit manager
Georgia Kacandes	....	unit production manager
Francine Lusser	....	unit manager (segment)
Karyn McCarthy	....	unit production manager: U.S.
Gérard Monier	....	location production manager
Mark Mostyn	....	production manager
Serge Musy	....	assistant set manager
Mark Scoon	....	executive in charge of production
Will Weiske	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Trey Batchelor	....	first assistant director: second unit
Tarik Ait Ben Ali	....	third assistant director: overseas
Peter Bennett	....	first assistant director: second unit
Julian Brain	....	second second assistant director: USA (as Julian M. Brain)
Darwin Brooks	....	third assistant director: overseas
Kate Carver	....	third assistant director: second unit
David Catalano	....	second second assistant director: New York
Yann Mari Faget	....	second assistant director: Morocco
Richard Goodwin	....	second second assistant director: overseas
Ahmed Hatimi	....	first assistant director: Morocco
Tudor Jones	....	additional second assistant director
Martin Kenzie	....	second unit director
Pierre Lacourt	....	third assistant director: Geneva
Stephanie Lovell	....	additional second second assistant director
Cian O'Clery	....	third assistant director: Dubai
David Pinkus	....	assistant director: additional photography
David Pinkus	....	second assistant director: UK
Eric A. Pot	....	second second assistant director: USA
Alison C. Rosa	....	second assistant director (as Alison Rosa)
Sonia Rossier	....	crowds assistant director
Antonin Schopfer	....	trainee assistant director
Henry Tomlinson	....	second assistant director: second unit
Adrian Toynton	....	second assistant director
Simon Warnock	....	first assistant director
Rami Yasin	....	first assistant director: Dubai
Tobias Asam	....	third assistant director: second unit (uncredited)

Art Department
Ray Barrett	....	construction manager
Mark Bentley	....	set dresser
Erik Boring	....	set dresser
Alex Brandenburg	....	set dresser
Carl Catanese	....	set buyer
Jana Chovancova	....	art department coordinator
June Connon	....	chargehand stand-by props
Michael Davis	....	construction coordinator
Louise Del Araujo	....	lead
Jack Dyer	....	stagehand
Daran Fulham	....	art director: Dubai
Ginny Galloway	....	art department coordinator: USA
Susanna Glattly	....	scenic charge
Jeffrey Pratt Gordon	....	on-set decorator
Eric Hunsaker	....	set dresser
Billy 'Jilly Bones' Jones	....	scenic: Baltimore
Ted Lubonovich II	....	construction gang boss
Jim Magdaleno	....	storyboard artist
Andrew Menzies	....	art director: Baltimore/Washington
Ron Napier	....	head foreman
Ted Nolan	....	construction gang boss
Marion Picard	....	assistant set decorator
Lionel Pouchard	....	storyboard artist
Amin Rharda	....	props buyer
Benoît Sanson	....	assistant set decorator
Tanja Schaffenrath	....	assistant property master: Dubai
Philip Schneider	....	property master
Chris Snyder	....	construction coordinator: reshoots
Michele Tedlis	....	art department coordinator: additional photography
Christian Tobin	....	props
Jennifer Tufaro	....	art production assistant
E. Parker Webb	....	set dresser
Tiffany Zappulla	....	set decoration buyer
Abdenabi Izlaguen	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Larry Blake	....	sound re-recording mixer
Larry Blake	....	supervising sound editor
Derek Casari	....	foley engineer
Julie Feiner	....	sound editor
Dawn Fintor	....	foley artist
Carl Fischer	....	boom operator
Mick Gormaley	....	assistant sound editor
Ben Greaves	....	second boom operator
Petur Hliddal	....	sound mixer
Vanessa Lapato	....	dialogue editor
Vanessa Lapato	....	sound editor
Derek Marcil	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jeena M. Phelps	....	sound editor (as Jeena Phelps)
Eric Raber	....	digital sound transfer engineer
Michael Rayle	....	cable puller
Jeff Sawyer	....	sound editor
Joe Schiff	....	assistant sound editor
Greg Steele	....	adr mixer
Alicia Stevenson	....	foley artist
Greg Zimmerman	....	adr recordist

Special Effects by
Hank Atterbury	....	special effects coordinator: US
Everett Byrom III	....	special effects coordinator: Texas
William Catania	....	special effects
Chris Hampton	....	special effects technician
Trevor Neighbour	....	special effects foreman: overseas
Stefano Pepin	....	special effects tecnician
Thomas Turnbull	....	special effects foreman
Matt Veale	....	assistant special effects technician: overseas
Trevor Wood	....	special effects coordinator: overseas

Visual Effects by
Oliver Arnold	....	lighting technical director
Timur 'Taron' Baysal	....	visual effects
Christian Bloch	....	digital artist: Eden FX
Andrea D'Amico	....	visual effects executive producer: Eden FX
Eric Durst	....	visual effects supervisor
Andrew Edwards	....	Inferno artist
Derry Frost	....	director of production: Amalgamated Pixels
Spence Fuller	....	digital effects artist
John F. Gross	....	visual effects supervisor: Eden FX
Timothy Heys-Cerchio	....	motion control operator
Erik Liles	....	compositing supervisor
Michael Meagher	....	visual effects producer (as Tony Meagher)
Rob Meyers	....	visual effects
Scott Michelson	....	visual effects executive producer
Roger Mocenigo	....	digital compositor: Amalgamated Pixels
Michael Morreale	....	executive producer: Amalgamated Pixels Inc.
David R. Morton	....	digital artist
Jeremy Oddo	....	visual effects
Phillip Palousek	....	visual effects coordinator: Amalgamated Pixels Inc.
Chris Payne	....	compositor
Eddie Robison	....	digital effects artist
Gregory S. Scribner	....	digital artist
Martha Soehendra	....	digital compositor
Katie Spinelli	....	visual effects coordinator (as Katie Eyster)
Colin Strause	....	visual effects supervisor
Greg Strause	....	visual effects supervisor
Wilson Tang	....	digital restoration
Chris Wells	....	CG supervisor: Hydraulx
Yoshiya Yamada	....	modeling supervisor
Chris B. Schnitzer	....	visual effects production supervisor: Warner Bros. (uncredited)

Stunts
Bruce Cain	....	stunts
Steve Dent	....	stunt coordinator
David Garrick	....	stunts
Michael Luckeroth	....	precision driver
Ron Oakley	....	stunt coordinator
Ron Oakley	....	stunts: Dubai
Domonkos Pardanyi	....	stunts
Matthew Sampson	....	stunts
Andy Smart	....	stunt double
Andy Smart	....	stunts
C.C. Smiff	....	stunts (as Neil Smith)
Peter White	....	stunts
Len Woodcock	....	stunts (as Lenny Woodcock)
Rick Kain	....	precision driver (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Alfred Ainsworth	....	video assist operator
Colin Anderson	....	Steadicam operator
Colin Anderson	....	camera operator
Simon Baechler	....	second video assistant: Geneva
Chris Bangma	....	technician: Libra remote head
Michael Bauman	....	gaffer: USA
Jonathan Beck	....	additional focus puller
Mike Bonnaud	....	best boy electric
Joey Bruce	....	rigging electrician: Maryland
Jasmine Yuen Carrucan	....	second assistant camera
Clint Covey	....	best boy grip: Dubai
Lamont Crawford	....	key grip: New York
Adam Dale	....	aerial director of photography
Paul Daley	....	unit gaffer
Paul Daley	....	unit gaffer
Thomas M. Dangcil	....	electrician: USA
Will Dearborn	....	second assistant camera
Claudio Del Gobbo	....	dolly grip
Massimiliano Dessena	....	best boy grip
Stefano Di Pasquali	....	grip
François Duhamel	....	still photographer
Kate Filby	....	camera operator: "b" camera, second unit
Kate Filby	....	clapper loader
Doriano Forti	....	grip
Claudio Frollano	....	electrician
Bryan Gilbert	....	grip
Will Humphris	....	second assistant camera
Barry Idoine	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Michael Kenner	....	key grip
Martin Kenzie	....	director of photography: second unit
David Kirman	....	video assist operator: Morocco
Tim Kossa	....	additional rigging electrician
Jeff Kunkel	....	dolly grip
Paul Lambiase	....	grip: Los Angeles
Thomas Loizeaux	....	camera operator
Oliver Loncraine	....	focus puller: second unit
Ray Meere	....	assistant camera
Tommaso Mele	....	key grip
Christopher Murphy	....	24 frame video operator
Charlie Newberry	....	film loader: USA
Giorgio Pezzotti	....	grip
Michael Pinkey	....	camera operator: re-shoots
James Plannette	....	gaffer
David Presley	....	video assist operator
Mariana Sánchez de Antuñano	....	assistant camera
Adam Drew Schwartz	....	assistant camera
Angel M. Sepulveda	....	rigging electrician
Cristiano Sergioli	....	grip truck
Julian Sternthal	....	grip: Maryland
Gregor Tavenner	....	second camera focus
Brett Tyler	....	rigging electrician
Mark Walpole	....	second assistant camera
Glen Wilson	....	still photographer
Mike Wilson	....	rigging electrician
Francesco Zaccaria	....	assistant chief lighting
Kelly Clear	....	chief lighting technician: pick-up shots (uncredited)
Tim Hennessy	....	additional camera loader (uncredited)
Heather Page	....	additional photographer: Texas (uncredited)

Casting Department
Todd Feldman	....	extras casting associate
Deanna Gallucio	....	extras casting assistant: New York
Luis Garcia	....	casting assistant
Barbara Harris	....	voice casting
Juliette Ménager	....	casting: France
Laura Neal	....	extras casting assistant
Sonia Rossier	....	extras casting assistant: Geneva
Mandy Sprinkel	....	extras casting
Amie Stephenson	....	casting assistant
John Strawbridge	....	casting associate
Kelly Hunt	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Abdelkrim Akallach	....	crowd wardrobe supervisor
Johnetta Boone	....	costumer
John Casey	....	costume supervisor
Gabriel DellaVecchia	....	wardrobe production assistant
Michele Forsythe	....	set costumer
Otmane Khammari	....	costume assistant
Deborah Latham	....	costumer
Mara Majorowicz	....	set costumer: Baltimore/Washington D.C.
Marina Marit	....	key set costumer
Nina Padovano	....	costumer
Garet Reilly	....	costumer
Richard Schoen	....	key costumer
Dana Schondelmeyer	....	assistant costume designer
Senna Shanti	....	costumer
Barnaby Smith	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Ron Barr	....	digital intermediate editor
Steve Calalang	....	dailies colorist
Michael T. Forrest	....	on-line editor
Mo Henry	....	negative cutter
Sorin Ariel Iarovici	....	assistant editor
Abazar Khayami	....	post-production assistant
Ryan Murphy	....	first assistant editor
Stephen Nakamura	....	digital film colorist
Jessica Kumai Scott	....	editorial production assistant
Yoram Tal	....	on-line editor
Bill Daly	....	post-production executive (uncredited)

Music Department
Jean-Pascal Beintus	....	orchestrator
Bryan Clements	....	scoring crew
Mark Eshelman	....	scoring crew
Jivan Gasparyan	....	musician: duduk player
Mark Graham	....	music librarian
Greg Loskorn	....	scoring technician
Adam Michalak	....	score recordist
Liza Richardson	....	music consultant
Peter Rotter	....	music contractor
Dennis S. Sands	....	music scoring mixer
Andrew Shulman	....	musician: cello soloist
Steven L. Smith	....	music preparation
Nick Vidar	....	music editor
Nick Vidar	....	music programmer

Transportation Department
Khalid Ameskane	....	transportation captain
Ali Bakkioui	....	transportation coordinator
Roy Clarke	....	transportation captain
Redouane Fihi	....	transportation
Louise Hills	....	assistant transportation coordinator: Dubai
Graham Kelly	....	action vehicle supervisor: boats, aircraft and cars
Michael Luckeroth	....	transportation coordinator
Boris Olomi	....	picture vehicle technician
Chris J. Smith	....	picture vehicle technician

Other crew
Youssef Abagourram	....	assistant location manager
Adil Abdelwahab	....	assistant location manager
Kirby Adams	....	location accountant
Samia Adnan	....	dialogue coach
Kate Amer	....	production coordinator
John Arbuckle	....	assistant marine coordinator
Luke Avery	....	production assistant
Clint Bailey	....	boat supervisor: Morocco
Daren Bailey	....	marine supervisor: Morocco (as Darren Bailey)
Joel Bailey	....	boat supervisor: Morocco
Luke Barnett	....	stand-in
Jody Beaudin	....	location accountant: Geneva
Mohamed Benhmamane	....	location scout
Ralph Bertelle	....	production coordinator: additional photography
Charles Bodycomb	....	armorer: Morroco and Dubai
Karl Brown	....	artist personal protection
Brinton Bryan	....	key set production assistant: additional photography
Shannon Burke	....	consultant
Tom J. Carlisle	....	production assistant: New York
Doug Carter	....	production assistant
Ayesha Chagla	....	production assistant: Dubai
Leah Chalk	....	health and safety
S. Todd Christensen	....	location manager
Tora Chung	....	assistant production coordinator: re-shoots
Alissa Collins	....	assistant location manager
Amanda Confavreux	....	production manager: Dubai unit
Brian Cooper	....	assistant production office coordinator
Ian Creed	....	marine coordinator: overseas
Clare Cunningham	....	assistant accountant
Mary Cybulski	....	script supervisor
Tom Dames	....	assistant accountant
Louise DeCordoba	....	financial controller
Anthony DeFrancesco	....	production assistant: art department
Melissa Demino	....	production assistant
Michael Dennehy	....	accounting clerk
Stephanie Dölker	....	production coordinator: Geneva
Guy Drayton	....	safety diver: Morocco
Cristiano D'Urso	....	accounting assistant
Jake Edmonds	....	health and safety coordinator
Mehdi El Atlassi	....	production assistant
Hicham El Ghorfi	....	production assistant
Caprice Ericson	....	assistant location manager
Evelyn S. Farkas	....	set medic
Jordan Brendan Finnegan	....	set production assistant: Los Angeles
McCord Fitzsimmons	....	production assistant
Tom Forbes	....	production secretary
Robbie Friedmann	....	location manager: Texas
Steven Fulton	....	production assistant: additional photography
Joel Goldes	....	dialect coach
Simone Goodridge	....	key production coordinator
Cleve Gray	....	stand-in
Vanessa Grayson	....	utility stand-in
Raf Green	....	assistant to director
John David Gunkle	....	location assistant: Morocco
Lisa Hagenmeyer	....	assistant location manager
Peter Harcourt	....	safety diver: Morocco (as Peter Hardcourt)
Rob Harris	....	unit publicist
John Henry	....	production assistant: New York
Dan Hillsdon	....	assistant accountant
Sarah Hood	....	production assistant: preparation, UK
Richard Hooper	....	supervising armorer
Mark Jacyszyn	....	production supervisor: Captive Audience Prod.
Charles 'Man' Johnson	....	film runner (as Man Johnson)
Richard Keeshan	....	office production assistant: additional photography, New York
Aymen Khalifa	....	cultural consultant
Donald Kilgore	....	production assistant
Laura King	....	set medic
Mike King	....	location manager: New York
Elizabeth Kirkscey	....	script supervisor: second unit
Khadja Koulla	....	production coordinator
Dan Krovich	....	production assistant
Ashifa Lalani	....	location accountant
Emily Lascelles	....	production coordinator: Morocco and Dubai
John Latenser V	....	location manager
Matthew Lee	....	production secretary
James Linville	....	first assistant accountant
Myriam Loukili	....	accountant
Harvey Lowry	....	director of operations: Captive Audience Productions
Elizabeth MacSwan	....	set production assistant
Daniel F. Malone	....	marine coordinator: USA
Joseph Martin	....	location scout
Peter Martorano	....	location manager: re-shoots
Darren Maynard	....	production assistant
Peter McClue	....	safety diver: Morocco
Maureen McEvoy	....	set production assistant
Gavin McKenzie	....	computer and video playback technician: Useful Companies
Gil McKinney	....	set production assistant
Christian McWilliams	....	location scout
Chris Menke	....	production secretary
Steve Mortimore	....	location scout: Spain
Lee Murphy	....	boat supervisor: Morocco
Nigel Nally	....	production secretary: Morocco
Ruth Nicol	....	unit nurse
Matthew Dillon Noonan	....	location production assistant
Matthew H. O'Connor	....	assistant marine coordinator: Baltimore and Washington D.C. (as Matt O'Connor)
Brian M. O'Neill	....	location manager: re-shoots
Rhys Owen	....	digital playback technician
Lance Palmer	....	boat supervisor: Morocco
Patrick Tendai Pfupajena	....	additional production assistant: Washington D.C.
Edward Poveda	....	payroll accountant
Jonathan Reich	....	location scout: Washington, DC
Mona Saker	....	foreign language coordinator
Michael Sharp	....	key location manager
Dave Shaw	....	dive safety supervisor: Morocco
Mike Sime	....	playback video operator
Keleigh Slaight	....	assistant to director
Joanna Slennett	....	assistant coordinator
Ed Symon	....	production runner
Heather Thomas-Hughes	....	unit nurse
Kevin Trehy	....	production executive
Catherine Tyler	....	set runner
Sara-Jane Valentine	....	computer and video coordinator: Useful Companies
Karen Wacker	....	assistant production office coordinator: Texas
Derek Wade	....	production assistant
Steven Wargo	....	key craft services: New York
Troy Waters	....	marine coordinator
John Burton West	....	production coordinator: Los Angeles
Marc Wolff	....	aerial coordinator
Marc Wolff	....	specialist pilot
Rehya Young	....	assistant location manager
Terrence B. Zinn	....	key set production assistant: additional photography
Denise A. Beale	....	production assistant (uncredited)
John Doty	....	stand-in (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures (presents)
• Participant Productions (in association with)
• Section Eight
• 4M (as 4M Productions)
• MID Foundation

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (2005) (USA) (theatrical)
• Fox-Warner (2006) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Karo Premiere (2006) (Russia) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2006) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Village Films (2006) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2006) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2006) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2006) (UK) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2006) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2006) (Philippines) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2006) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Warner Sogefilms S.A. (2005) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2009) (Argentina) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Audio Visual Enterprises (2006) (Greece) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Germany) (DVD) (HD-DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD) (rental)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-Ray Disc)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD) (retail)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-Ray Disc)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD) (HD-DVD)

Special Effects

• Amalgamated Pixels (visual effects)
• Eden FX (visual effects)
• Hydraulx (visual effects) (as HY*DRAU*LX)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• Kodak  motion picture film supplied by
• Tomkats Catering  catering

Also Known As:

See No Evil (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language.

Runtime:

126 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Urdu | Arabic | Persian | French | Mandarin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Ireland:15A | Finland:K-15 | UK:15 | Singapore:NC-16 | Australia:MA | Norway:15 | Netherlands:16 | Argentina:16 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | France:U | Germany:12 | Brazil:14 | Sweden:15 | India:UA | Philippines:R-13 | Hungary:16 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Iceland:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:15 | Malaysia:U | Spain:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Annapolis, Maryland, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Due to the weight he gained for the film, George Clooney suffered a spinal injury during a stunt that caused him severe migraine headaches (which prevented him from doing publicity for Ocean's Twelve (2004)), and had him bedridden for a month. This injury was eventually corrected with surgery, and Clooney has since called his weight gain "pretty stupid".

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: A news presenter with an English accent early in the film says "one hundred thirty". A British person would always say, "One hundred and thirty." The omission of the "and" is only found in non-British English.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Arash: Bobby, where have you been?

Movie Connections:

Featured in Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

Wasp Nest

The Price We Pay

"Syriana" is a blistering, powerful film about the degree to which governments and corporate conglomerates place the ambition to control the world's oil supply above the well being of their citizens and employees. In this game, there are only bad guys, and what separates the villains from the protagonists is not a question of who's good and who's bad, but rather how bad each is willing to be.

So maybe "Syriana" doesn't tell us anything new. But that doesn't mean its points aren't worth making again and again. And though it is complicated, and I'm not going to pretend I followed every detail of its intricate plot, it's not *that* hard to follow. Stephen Gaghan is a good writer, and he provides a nice summary of the film's action in its final moments.

What emerges from this tangled puzzle is a web of corruption and self-interest, all fueled by the need for oil. In one plot thread, the men behind two soon-to-merge oil companies will stop at nothing to make the merger go through, since the new company will be one of the most powerful in the world. In another thread, the law firm representing the company proves that it's eager to cash in on the company's new economic success. Meanwhile, a power struggle between the two sons of an aging king in an unspecified Middle Eastern country (though Saudi Arabia is obviously suggested) has attracted the attention of the American government, operating through the CIA. America (read American business) has a vested interest in which of the king's sons succeeds him to the throne: It doesn't want the reform-minded eldest son, whose priorities will be building a country to benefit his own people; it wants instead the younger son, who will continue to relegate his country to a cosy spot in America's hip pocket and take its orders directly from the president of the USA. And in the film's most chilling plot strand, we see how the struggle for oil feeds the radical Islam movement in the Middle East, providing young men with a feeling of brotherhood and righteousness in the face of a region they feel has turned its back on them in favor of big business and Western corruption.

"Syriana" is tense, fast and furious. Following it can admittedly be somewhat exhausting, but if you pay very close attention to the first hour or so, as each story is introduced and the relationships between characters become clear, the second half of the movie is easier to digest.

I disagree with other comments here that the characters aren't developed or that the acting is unimpressive. On the contrary, I think all of the actors create extremely nuanced, compelling characters, a challenging task given the fact that none of them are allowed more than a minute or so at a time to feed us information about themselves. A movie like this could easily fall prey to filling itself with a bunch of stock villains, all cocked eyebrows and facial mannerisms rather than full-bodied characterizations, and the fact that it avoids this is a tribute to both Gaghan and the cast. And hats off to the editor on this movie, who had perhaps the most daunting task of the year.

2005 has been full of terse, important films, fresh in their immediacy. There have been a small number of sensational, tough, thought-provoking films instead of a larger batch of more mediocre ones, as has been the case recently. "Syriana" is one of the best movies of the year: it's angry, yet it's not hopeless. I hope Americans see this movie. At this time of year, when people are trampling each other in malls in order to be first in line for Christmas sales, I hope they remember that the vast wealth of America frequently comes at the sake of people all over the world who will never have a fraction of the comfort those in our country take for granted.

Grade: A