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Syriana (2005) Rank 4 Reviews

Expert Review Summary
Movie critics combined give Syriana (2005) a score of 2.8356 out of 4
based on (392) reviews
Click on the numbers to the right of the graph to see reviews of that rating
Excellent
4
Excellent
(50)
Very Good
3
Very Good
(277)
Good
2
Good
(63)
Fair
1
Fair
(2)
Poor
0
Poor
(0)
Reviews by Score:
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
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. ...read the complete Syriana movie review at Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Philadelphia Inquirer (Carrie Rickey)Philadelphia Inquirer (Carrie Rickey)
Blood isn't the only thing thicker than water in Syriana, Stephen Gaghan's feverish and urgent political thriller that maps the New Oil Order. ...read the complete Syriana movie review at Philadelphia Inquirer (Carrie Rickey)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (Jack Garner)Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (Jack Garner)
Syriana is a challenging, thought-provoking work about the downward spiral of oil dependence throughout the world. It's just the thing to make you consider a hybrid for your garage or solar panels for your roof. ...read the complete Syriana movie review at Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (Jack Garner)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Groucho Reviews (Peter Canavese)Groucho Reviews (Peter Canavese)
A potent legend of modern international relations. ...read the complete Syriana movie review at Groucho Reviews (Peter Canavese)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Cinema em Cena (Pablo Villaça)Cinema em Cena (Pablo Villaça)
...read the complete Syriana movie review at Cinema em Cena (Pablo Villaça)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Future Movies (Matt McAllister)Future Movies (Matt McAllister)
It’s encouraging to come across a film like Syriana. Ambitious, opinionated and thrilling, this is the kind of movie that almost makes you believe in Hollywood once again. And with the likes of Good Night, and Good Luck, The Constant Gardener and Crash ...read the complete Syriana movie review at Future Movies (Matt McAllister)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Chris JarmickChris Jarmick
...read the complete Syriana movie review at Chris Jarmick
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Philadelphia Inquirer (Carrie Rickey)Philadelphia Inquirer (Carrie Rickey)
For two hours I felt like a kitten chasing an elusive ball of catnip that remained just beyond my paw. ...read the complete Syriana movie review at Philadelphia Inquirer (Carrie Rickey)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for PM Media Review ("Moviefaire")PM Media Review ("Moviefaire")
If you think you dislike big oil companies and are suspicious of the feds now, you just wait until you see this flick. This film should be seen for its political insight and the sheer power of the message.Syriana is an intelligent and ...read the complete Syriana movie review at PM Media Review ("Moviefaire")
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
An endlessly fascinating movie. ...read the complete Syriana movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Eleanor Ringel Gillespie)Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Eleanor Ringel Gillespie)
A gripping and daringly complex movie about How Things Get Done these days in the blood-drenched world of oil, politics and religion. ...read the complete Syriana movie review at Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Eleanor Ringel Gillespie)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for www.susangranger.com (Susan Granger)www.susangranger.com (Susan Granger)
A powerful political thriller, striking a resonating chord with the oil-connected news that unfolds every day. ...read the complete Syriana movie review at www.susangranger.com (Susan Granger)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Killer Movie Reviews (Andrea Chase)Killer Movie Reviews (Andrea Chase)
Click here to listen to the interview with Stephen Gaghan. At two different points during SYRIANA, two different men in traditional Arab robes sits on a floor surrounded by two different sets of rapt listeners sitting in a circle. Each explains with ...read the complete Syriana movie review at Killer Movie Reviews (Andrea Chase)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (Ken Hanke)Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (Ken Hanke)
Rich, complex, multilayered and by turns maddening and depressing, Syriana emerges as one of the best films of the year. ...read the complete Syriana movie review at Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (Ken Hanke)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Detroit News (Tom Long)Detroit News (Tom Long)
A purposely jagged and harsh news story of a film, Syriana attempts to take on the powers that run the world and for the most part it succeeds. ...read the complete Syriana movie review at Detroit News (Tom Long)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
"Syriana" is an endlessly fascinating movie about oil and money, America and China, traders and spies, the Gulf States and Texas, reform and revenge, bribery and betrayal. Its interlocking ...read the complete Syriana movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
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. ...read the complete Syriana movie review at Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
George 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 ...read the complete Syriana movie review at Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for New York Times (A.O. Scott)New York Times (A.O. Scott)
A complex, intriguing narrative about oil, terrorism, money and power. ...read the complete Syriana movie review at New York Times (A.O. Scott)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Flipside Movie Emporium (Rob Vaux)Flipside Movie Emporium (Rob Vaux)
The bulk of the credit, however, goes to Gaghan, who knows this subject inside and out, and who brings remarkable expertise to its depiction on-screen. Like Traffic, Syriana is a vital roadmap to a very ...read the complete Syriana movie review at Flipside Movie Emporium (Rob Vaux)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 3.75 out of 4 stars for Oregonian (Shawn Levy)Oregonian (Shawn Levy)
What makes Syriana a kick isn't that it merely builds a complex web, but that it does it so well. ...read the complete Syriana movie review at Oregonian (Shawn Levy)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 3.75 out of 4 stars for zBoneman Movie Reviews (Kevin Jones & Adam Mast)zBoneman Movie Reviews (Kevin Jones & Adam Mast)
Stephen Gaghan has created a thoughtful, if a tad convoluted, expose on the oil industry. At the very least we can forgive the film maker for the Katie Holmes dud Abandon. ...read the complete Syriana movie review at zBoneman Movie Reviews (Kevin Jones & Adam Mast)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 3.75 out of 4 stars for Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies (Nell Minow)Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies (Nell Minow)
If you want a movie that answers all your questions, try "Revenge of the Sith." If you want a movie that questions all your answers, try this one. ...read the complete Syriana movie review at Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies (Nell Minow)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 3.75 out of 4 stars for Dallas Morning News (Philip Wuntch)Dallas Morning News (Philip Wuntch)
Mr. Gaghan doesn't insult our intelligence, but he demands our attention. If you're up to those demands, you'll be rewarded. ...read the complete Syriana movie review at Dallas Morning News (Philip Wuntch)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 3.67 out of 4 stars for Zertinet MoviesZertinet Movies
...read the complete Syriana movie review at Zertinet Movies
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 3.60 out of 4 stars for Washington Post (Desson Thomson)Washington Post (Desson Thomson)
What's so powerful about the film is the rich stories it tells and how it leads them like so many human tributaries to one black, bubbling source. ...read the complete Syriana movie review at Washington Post (Desson Thomson)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 3.60 out of 4 stars for Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)
A fearless and ambitious piece of work, made with equal parts passion and calculation, an unapologetically entertaining major studio release with compelling real-world relevance, a film that takes numerous risks and thrives on them all. ...read the complete Syriana movie review at Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 3.60 out of 4 stars for New York Magazine (Ken Tucker)New York Magazine (Ken Tucker)
A film that transcends its obvious timeliness to say some elemental things about personal loyalty and institutional betrayal. ...read the complete Syriana movie review at New York Magazine (Ken Tucker)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 3.53 out of 4 stars for The Scott and Jim's Movie Reviews (Scott)The Scott and Jim's Movie Reviews (Scott)
...read the complete Syriana movie review at The Scott and Jim's Movie Reviews (Scott)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 3.52 out of 4 stars for USA Today (Claudia Puig)USA Today (Claudia Puig)
A gripping and fascinating tale of political intrigue that spans three continents, its focus trained on the volatile Middle East. It's a global portrait of danger, deception and disillusionment, with no dearth of human casualties. ...read the complete Syriana movie review at USA Today (Claudia Puig)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 3.52 out of 4 stars for New York Post (Lou Lumenick)New York Post (Lou Lumenick)
Clooney, who gained 35 pounds for the role, gives a self-effacing but highly effective performance. ...read the complete Syriana movie review at New York Post (Lou Lumenick)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for FilmFocus.Co.UK (Joe Utichi)FilmFocus.Co.UK (Joe Utichi)
The political film has become something of a trademark in a post-9/11 Hollywood, and this year's crop - including Crash and The Constant Gardener - have been even less restrained than in previous years. It seems that the political is becoming less of a ...read the complete Syriana movie review at FilmFocus.Co.UK (Joe Utichi)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie VoiceFilm Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice
Syriana is the latest film from Traffic and Alamo scribe Stephen Gaghan, who also assumes the director's chair to tell this story of big oil and Middle East politics. Based on the book by Robert Baer, Syriana juggles a number of plotlines. ...read the complete Syriana movie review at Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for In Film Australia (Luke Buckmaster)In Film Australia (Luke Buckmaster)
...read the complete Syriana movie review at In Film Australia (Luke Buckmaster)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for UpcomingDiscs.comUpcomingDiscs.com
The HD-DVD release of Syriana boasts two new features giving the release higher marks than the DVD counterpart. Slightly upgraded picture-similar audio problems+new features=purchase the HD-DVD counterpart out of the two available releases. ...read the complete Syriana movie review at UpcomingDiscs.com
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for ShowBIZ DataShowBIZ Data
Syriana is obviously Warner Bros.' attempt to counterprogram Disney's The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which is aimed primarily at children, with a movie for adults. It's "a movie that demands and rewards close ...read the complete Syriana movie review at ShowBIZ Data
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema (Mark Pfeiffer)Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema (Mark Pfeiffer)
Syriana demands patience to see how the pieces come together in a fascinating mosaic of politics, capitalism, and corruption. ...read the complete Syriana movie review at Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema (Mark Pfeiffer)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for Reeling Reviews (Robin and Laura Clifford)Reeling Reviews (Robin and Laura Clifford)
When Prince Nasir (Alexander Siddig, "Kingdom of Heaven") recognizes that his country is headed for disaster if the riches of its oil production are not capitalized upon, he urges his father to grant a bid for natural gas rights to China over the U.S. ...read the complete Syriana movie review at Reeling Reviews (Robin and Laura Clifford)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for Empire Magazine [UK]Empire Magazine [UK]
Gaghan's second movie throws light on a shadowy subject that's shaping the world we live in now. Demanding, even confusing at times, this is required viewing that requires your full attention. ...read the complete Syriana movie review at Empire Magazine [UK]
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for DVD Talk (Joshua Zyber)DVD Talk (Joshua Zyber)
...read the complete Syriana movie review at DVD Talk (Joshua Zyber)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for DVD Talk (Preston Jones)DVD Talk (Preston Jones)
A glib summation of Syriana would be " Traffic with oil" but that does both films a grave disservice – profoundly angry and profoundly saddened, Syriana has a sense of purpose and a sense of moral outrage that's barely contained. It's achingly relevant, ...read the complete Syriana movie review at DVD Talk (Preston Jones)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for Empire Magazine [UK]Empire Magazine [UK]
Gaghan's second movie throws light on a shadowy subject that's shaping the world we live in now. Demanding, even confusing at times, this is required viewing that requires your full attention. ...read the complete Syriana movie review at Empire Magazine [UK]
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for Boston Herald (James Verniere)Boston Herald (James Verniere)
...read the complete Syriana movie review at Boston Herald (James Verniere)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for MovieWeb (Evan "Mushy" Jacobs)MovieWeb (Evan "Mushy" Jacobs)
...read the complete Syriana movie review at MovieWeb (Evan "Mushy" Jacobs)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for Zertinet Movies (Steven Snyder)Zertinet Movies (Steven Snyder)
In only the first three shots “Syriana,” we are thrown around to the world, to three of the dozens of locales that will populate the film. And in only three minutes, we realize the stage has already been set for an unprecedented experience of ...read the complete Syriana movie review at Zertinet Movies (Steven Snyder)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)
Gripping, complex and thoughtful thriller that harks back to the classic political thrillers of the 1970s.What’s it all about?Written and directed by Stephen Gaghan (Oscar-winning screenwriter of Traffic) Syriana takes its name from a Washington term ...read the complete Syriana movie review at ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for The Movie Insider (Phil Calabro)The Movie Insider (Phil Calabro)
It's fair to say that all the actors give wonderful performances, but it's truly hard to put the finger on the creme de la creme. George Clooney pulls of the inspirational and very sympathetic role of Bob Barnes, a fictional version of real CIA agent ...read the complete Syriana movie review at The Movie Insider (Phil Calabro)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for Deep Focus (Bryant Frazer)Deep Focus (Bryant Frazer)
You want your politically involved cinema? I got your politically involved cinema right here. ...read the complete Syriana movie review at Deep Focus (Bryant Frazer)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for RopeofSilicon (Laremy Legel)RopeofSilicon (Laremy Legel)
It's not often one gets to delve into politics in movie reviews. The reasons are pretty obvious; 1) most movies aren't political in nature and 2) going to a movie reviewer for political slant would be like going to a dentist for your tax problems. ...read the complete Syriana movie review at RopeofSilicon (Laremy Legel)
Syriana (2005) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for ReelViews (James Berardinelli)ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
You may have to look long and hard to find a 2005 movie with as cynical an outlook on global politics as Syriana. Sadly, this is a situation when the cynicism is understandable. In addition to painting a bleak picture, Syriana makes no concessions to impa ...read the complete Syriana movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
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Movie Reviews: Drama
Syriana (2005) Reviews
Syriana (2005)

RANKINGS:

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Ratings and rankings are based on number of movie, review scores, awards & other criteria.
Overall Rating:
2.8817
Syriana (2005) is ranked overall as out of 4 stars
Avg Critic Score:
2.8356
Syriana (2005) is ranked overall as out of 4 stars
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