SYRIANA (Steven Gaghan, 2005) (Magdalen Auditorium, 7:30pm Sunday 11th Feb)

Syriana was the less well-known of two acclaimed political thrillers starring George Clooney released last year, the other being the highly feted Good Night, and Good Luck. Directed by Traffic screenwriter Stephen Gaghan, Syriana has in common with that film and with Crash a complex structure of several interlinked plots, which portray the various difficulties surrounding a proposed merger between two US oil companies. Reforming Gulf prince Nasir (Alexander Siddig) wishes to make his oil-rich country less reliant on the US, to the displeasure of his Western connections. Clooney plays CIA agent Bob Barnes, sent to assassinate Nasir and thus bolster the region's US ties: his mission goes terribly wrong and he is made a CIA scapegoat. Meanwhile, lawyer Bennett Holiday (Jeffrey Wright), a rising star in his field, becomes increasingly aware of the shady business dealings surrounding the merger. 'Golden boy' energy analyst Brian Woodman (Matt Damon) is in talks to form a partnership with Nasir, but Bennett's boss is meanwhile scheming to undermine Nasir's position through appeals to his mercenary brother, Prince Meshal (Akbar Kurtha). Two Pakistani immigrants working for oil giant Connex become unemployed when Nasir forces Connex out of the country; they are gradually radicalized by a religious leader who tells them that the oil corporation is an exploitative force for evil, with violent consequences. Particularly in the final scenes, which unite these disparate plots in a striking climax, Syriana suggests powerfully the complexity of the Middle East's political troubles and the immensity of the obstacles to progress in the region.

Alice Roper (Magdalen FilmSoc Committee)

As ever our Sunday screenings include free wine/juice.