In many ways, Syriana is to oil what Soderbergh s Traffic was to drugs – a far-reaching exploration of the implications of a corrupt trade. Indeed, the two films share a writer, and like Traffic, each different thread of Syriana follows a different charac

In many ways, Syriana is to oil what Soderbergh's Traffic was to drugs - a far-reaching exploration of the implications of a corrupt trade.

Indeed, the two films share a writer, and like Traffic, each different thread of Syriana follows a different character and their involvement in the oil trade, although each of them subtly interweaves.

This taut, political thriller shows the human dimension of this sprawling network of commerce, and the wide ramifications of each of their individual actions.

George Clooney plays a CIA operative who gets to the truth behind the people he works for, while Matt Damon's young oil broker gets together with a Gulf prince to thrash out a new economy for his people.