A puzzling, but worthy film

On first viewing, it might take you a little while to figure out what's going on in writer-director Stephen Gaghan's "Syriana," but once the seams come off and the film becomes whole, it's a worthwhile experience. It's a complex, fascinating and sobering movie with stories about American interests in oil abroad, and the various interlocking lives of the many different people affected. George Clooney, Matt Damon, Chris Cooper and Jeffrey Wright all give strong performances as players absorbed into the wildcard game. Much like "Traffic," which Gaghan won an Academy Award for writing, "Syriana" is a smart and conscious movie, even if it seems a tad too conspiratorial at times and might make America's energy policies seem like a downer.