At the time of writing, Syriana has yet to be released in Australia, and so I havent seen it. All the reviews of it I've read have been stupendously unhelpful. They say things like, "the plot is too intricate to describe, so just see the damn film already." (Perhaps I'm paraphrasing. In any case, I'm intrigued). I want to see this film because I'm very fond of films about conspiracy and political intrigue, especially ones that weave a compelling narrative from the seemingly inexplicable - or perhaps merely mundane - avarice and ineptitude and bloody-mindedness that make up the Great Big Global Whatsit. The reviews, however unhelpful where detail is concerned, at least indicate that Syriana has done well in this regard: according to one, it boasts "a complex, intriguing narrative about oil, terrorism, money and power." The film was written and directed by Stephen Gaghan, who also wrote Traffic, and it is based loosely on the memoirs of a CIA veteran, Robert Baer, on whom George Clooney's character is modelled. It's been called "one of the best geopolitical thrillers in a very long time", and I can't think of a better advertisement for it than that.