Syriana - * * * *

Syriana is the movie I've been waiting for to help explain the problems in the Middle East. The plot is complicated and difficult to follow much of the time. But, as I've read in other reviews, following the plot isn't really the point. The point is where everything leads, which is pessimistic.

I haven't seen a film in a while that shows the face of power and big money as well as Syriana. You realize that you're in the middle of something extremely important, something on a scale that is difficult to imagine (which is really the point of the overwhelming plot).

Then there are the actors in Syriana. Most of us know from the previews that George Clooney is in this film. But then others start to show up, actors you didn't necessarily know were in the film: Matt Damon, Chris Cooper, William Hurt, Christopher Plummer, Amanda Peet, and an amazing performance by Jeffrey Wright. All of these characters are important to the story, even if they're on the screen for a few minutes.

This is an extraordinary movie--and one that will get many nominations and awards.

Metacritic score for Syriana: 76/100 (approximately three stars)