.: ShaolinTiger - Kung-Fu Geekery :.

Syriana is a thriller of corruption and power related to the oil industry that tells four parallel stories: the CIA agent Bob Barnes (George Clooney) with great experience in Middle East that falls in disgrace after an unsuccessful mission dealing missiles in Lebanese Republic; the investigation of the attorney Bennett Holiday (Jeffrey Wright) related to the merge of two American oil companies, Connex and Killen; the traumatic association of the energy analyst Bryan Woodman (Matt Damon) with the son of a powerful emir of Iran; and the social drama of the Pakistani immigrant worker Wasim Khan (Mazhar Munir) that is fired by the oil company.

Well it's a long time since I've done a movie review, so here you are! It's been quite a long time since I watched any movies, so there you go..

I've got a LOT of movies to catch up, so I'll bore you with some of the reviews.

Syriana was one of those big hyped movies from 2005, Oscar nominations, these awards, those awards etc etc. I was expecting a lot from it.

It got a solid 7.2 on IMDB, if not for the boring part it'd easily be a high 8.

Frankly the first 20 mins was a complete yawn-fest, I almost turned it off, I know someone that did fall asleep and someone else that did actually turn if off half way through.

It's a shame as it does get very much better after that.

It's an intricately woven tale showing the picture from the ground level with Pakistani workers being laid off in the oil fields, the political level, and the level of normal people like you and I with George Clooney and Matt Damon getting involved for vastly different reasons.

It's a deeply political film and very nicely linked together but slow in parts, it's definately thinkers film and is closely related to many of the things that have happened in recent times..

I believe it was banned in Malaysia due to some of the sensitive issues it addressed.

The acting was top notch, it's good to see Clooney taking a meaty role and once again Matt Damon showing his versatility.

It's an interesting enough movie, just don't expect any action, chicks, explosions or humour.

Serious and tense it is, light-hearted it is not.

You have to give it some time and get into the plot, the twists, the power struggles and the back-stabbing. It was based on a book which was apparently based on a real conflict, I have yet to look up who the prince was..but it's certainly interesting.

I'd give it a worth watching 6.5/10.

Jarhead (the self-imposed moniker of the Marines) follows "Swoff" (Gyllenhaal), a third-generation enlistee, from a sobering stint in boot camp to active duty, sporting a sniper's rifle and a hundred-pound ruck on his back through Middle East deserts with no cover from intolerable heat or from Iraqi soldiers, always potentially just over the next horizon. Swoff and his fellow Marines sustain themselves with sardonic humanity and wicked comedy on blazing desert fields in a country they don't understand against an enemy they can't see for a cause they don't fully fathom

Ah no time to do the last Cambodia post today, will do it tonight or tomorrow I guess.

Jarhead is a very good film, I've heard a bit about it, and I've been wanting to watch it for a while, afterall Jake Gyllenhaal seems to be the new in thing.

I see this film as something like the Full-metal Jacket of our generation (Yah I love that movie too). It isn't narrow in its viewpoint, it's doesn't display things in a negative manner (like Born on the 4th of July) and it doesn't glorify war. It has a balanced view, showing both the good and the bad. The camaraderie and the loneliness.

It's most definately not a explosion ridden blood fest or action war movie, the warfare in the movie is minimal, if you want that go and watch Black Hawk Down or Saving Private Ryan. It's a movie about the social aspects, it can go from loud and racous to quiet and poignant.

It is based on a true story, the story of Anthony Swofford during operation Desert Shield which later turned into operation Desert Storm. Gyllenhaal plays the part to perfection. Foxx also puts in a sterling performance as the cool calm war veteran and staff sgt.

The cinematography is breathtaking, especially the scenes of the burning oilfields when it's literally raining oil.

The whole thing is just well conceived, beautifully filmed, well adapted and very well acted.

Definately worth a watch.

I did see adverts for it in Malaysia, but it seems to have been pulled as it's not being shown at the moment. It turns out there were some great movies in 2005, with this and Crash.

I'd give it a great 8.5/10