Reform-minded Gulf country prince Nasir is in favor of making his nation more self-sufficient rather than U.S.-reliant, and his money-minded Western connections couldn't be less pleased. Before settling into a cushy desk job for the remainder of his career, CIA agent Bob Barnes is sent on one last assignment - to assassinate Prince Nasir and reinstate U.S. ties in the oil-rich region. Though his loyalty dictates that Barnes carry out his current mission despite lingering doubts of a previous blunder, his mission goes horribly awry when his field contact goes turncoat and Barnes becomes a CIA scapegoat. Meanwhile, up-and-coming Washington attorney Bennett Holiday attempts to walk a fine line in overseeing a tenuous merger between two oil giants that's plagued with shady business dealings. Hotshot energy analyst Bryan Woodman is in talks to form a lucrative partnership with Prince Nasir, though the death of his son during a party at the prince's estate makes him question his loyalty to business over family. Back in Washington, D.C., Bennet's boss Dean Whiting attempts to undermine Prince Nasir's attempts to make his country less reliant on the U.S. dollar by planting the seeds of dissonance between the progressive prince and his money-minded younger brother Prince Meshal.
Get ready to pay attention. What a complicated film; there are a lot of characters to keep track of and several different storylines happening simultaneously. A general knowledge of world politics, Middle East relations and the oil industry is a must. I'll admit that my knowledge of these things aren't the best which is why I'm going to do a little research and watch it again in a couple of days. I'm sure I'll "get it" a little better after watching it again, but I did appreciate the amount of work that went into telling these stories and the power of the message they were trying to get across - keeping in mind that it's based on true events. Of course, I reserve the right to change my rating after watching it a second time.
Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: Yes
Starring: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Jeffrey Wright, Amanda Peet
I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.
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