Cinecast #61: Snake Oil
Syriana: Though falling just shy of true greatness (because, as you know, we here at Cinecast are the final arbiters of greatness), writer/director Stephen Gaghan’s "Syriana" is never short of ambition. For his sophomore effort as a director -- no, it's not his debut, as Adam mistakenly says during the show -- the Oscar-winning screenwriter of "Traffic" dives headlong into the dense thicket of international politics and emerges with a film that is timely, well-informed and genuinely exciting. Impressively, Gaghan is able to illustrate the self-interest and corruption that fuels the global economy without drowning the audience with cynicism; if he can't quite resist the temptation to editorialize occasionally, you can hardly blame him.
Also on the show, listeners share their Top 5 Death Scenes, explain the appeal of "Aeon Flux," and wonder if we've ever seen "L.A. Story." Plus, Massacre Theatre and a look ahead to this week's Top 5 Movies So Bad They're Good.
Massacre Theatre presented by the Elemental-Gear podcast, bringing you insightful computing technology opinions, discussions and reviews.
Music by the Waco Brothers courtesy of Bloodshot Records ... Cinecast theme music by Age of the Rifle.
Cinecast #61
:32-18:14 - Review: "Syriana"
Music: Waco Brothers, "It's Amazing"
19:26-25:40 - Notes/Corrections
25:41-39:03 - Listener Feedback (Aeon Flux, Shopgirl, Death Scenes)
39:04-39:41 - So Bad They're Good Voicemails
Music: Waco Brothers, "Missing Link"
42:10-43:45 - Voicemail Response
43:46-47:43 - Death Scenes Feedback cont.
47:44-50:19 - Massacre Theatre
50:20-58:42 - Top 5 So Bad They're Good Preview
Have a comment or Top 5 list you'd like to share? Send us an e-mail at cinecast@cinecastshow.com. Or give us a call at 206-203-CINE and leave a voice message.
9 Comments:
Why do all your voicemails sound the same? Some sleepy guy in his thirties calling from Georgia. I think I'll have to leave a message just to see if there isn't some sort of scam at play.
Hey now, wasn't there at least one girl in that montage?
Yes, with the voice of a 30-year old man. Well, not really, but then you might have speeded up 'her' voice to sound all squeaky.
Sam, loved the Pacino impersonation. Why don't we see that kind of passion in Massacre Theater?
Hey I finally made the show, sweet!
I have to disagree with you both on Syriana. While you're right that the film is totally cold and unemotional, you're giving it too much credit by calling it "intellectual" or "an intellectual exercise". It's hard to be intellectual when your one big insight is that governments at home and abroad are corruptly intertwined with the oil industry. As Prince Nasir says in one of the few good scenes in the film: tell me something I don't know.
I could enjoy a movie that didn't have anything new or insightful to tell me if it was at least interesting emotionally or viscerally; I could enjoy a movie that was emotionally stiff or stylistically dull if it had something exciting to say. Syriana fails on all three levels.
Beyond that, Gaghan seems to confuse obfuscation for complexity. Jeffery Wright's character isn't a mystery because he's a complex character who we've never seen before, he's a mystery because the writer has withheld information from us, or rather has misled us into thinking he's a different generic type. By removing the backstory and context from his scenes, Gaghan creates the illusion of complexity without having to do the work necessary to make a truly intelligent film.
I'm not a big fan of Traffic, I thought a third of it was an after-school special, a third of it was mediocre and the third of it with Benicio Del Toro was outstanding. But Syriana doesn't even have that kind of interesting character or performance to redeem it.
YESSSSS! Sam, your Pacino impression was outstanding. I'm putting The Devil's Advocate on my Netflix queue RIGHT NOW. I just laughed out loud here at work and got plenty of strange looks thanks to you.
great work!
YESSSSS! Sam, your Pacino impression was outstanding. I'm putting The Devil's Advocate on my Netflix queue RIGHT NOW. I just laughed out loud here at work and got plenty of strange looks thanks to you.
great work!
Glad you liked my donation. I hope it was spent wisely, perhaps for hair gel or something ;)
Howard Stern's last day is tomorrow. Let's honor his show by not only listening to it, but also by watching his great movie, Private Parts.
Thank You.
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