HTF HD DVD REVIEW: Syriana (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED).

SYRIANA
HD DVD








Studio: Warner Brothers
Format: HD DVD
Year: 2005
Rated: R
Film Length: 128 Minutes
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Audio: DD+ & DD 5.1
Color/B&W: Color
Languages: English & French
Subtitles: English, French & Spanish
Genre: Political Drama
MSRP: $34.99
Package: Single disc/Red HD DVD Keepcase





The Feature:
Sadly, due to our dependence on gasoline, Syriana is a film that will have national appeal. This movie is plot-driven requiring all of its 128 minutes to take you though its complicated journey. There is no hand holding, no coddling and no spoon feeding. This fast paced film doesn’t slow down for a moment – blink, and you’re done. The film was based on ex-CIA agent, Robert Baer's “See No Evil: The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA's War on Terrorism”. What’s most disillusioning is perhaps Syriana’s conclusion in that we have become so dependent to oil, that a replacement (read: solution) will never materialize.

The film is made up of three plot points which intersect at various spots throughout the film. The first: Middle East CIA agent, Bob Barnes (played by George Clooney). The second involves the merger of two major oil companies, Connex and Killen. And the third, centers around Prince Nasir Al-Subaai (played by Alexander Siddig). Prince Nasir believes that it would be best for his country to not cave in to the Americans. While watching Syriana, this reviewer couldn’t help but be reminded of the stylized method of storytelling to Traffic, and that's no surprise considering that Gaghan wrote both scripts and Steven Soderbergh serves as Executive Producer and helmed Traffic.

Strong performances abound here from Matt Damon and Amanda Peet in strong supporting roles, while the heavies, George Clooney, Jeffrey Wright, and Alexander Siddig offer strong leads. The usual GQ-like Clooney sheds his familiar look and appears with an unkept beard and gained 35 pounds. Syriana is guaranteed to cause a great deal of contention among viewers, as political followers are sure to debate from their particular side of the fence. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards with George Clooney winning for Best Supporting Actor. Stephen Gaghan was unsuccessful but nominated for Best Screenplay.

The Feature: 5/5




Video:
Presented in 2.40:1, this widescreen transfer looks fantastic. Just as I was impressed with the SD version of this film, the HD is even more of a treat. All of the usual suspects are improved upon here with this HD version… a sharper image, better saturation and density of the colors, and fantastic depth and texture. Colors, look good (not quite vibrant) and given the look of the film, this was the intent. Blacks were incredibly deep. Much of the film has a slightly blue or grey hue to it making it appear on the cold or sterile side.

Image definition was very good – certainly improved upon here with the HD version in comparison to the SD version. Depth and texture was nice – again, a significant improvement.

The print is immaculate and absolute free of any annoying marks or blemishes. Authoring also seems to have been handled to perfection as digital or compression errors were non-existent including haloing – and this is a film that could be rife with EE. And similar to the SD version, this HD transfer is also free of that glossy look that seems to permeate many of these new releases – something I find rather off-putting.

Remember, it’s difficult to critique a film with such a stylized manner – think Traffic. A gorgeous entry in the HD DVD canon.

Video: 8/10




Audio:
As I checked the SD to compare notes, I find myself making very few changes as it relates to the HD presentation on the audio side of things. While I was enamored with the video portion of this transfer, I still feel somewhat let down with the audio portion. While the fundamentals here are done well, the Dolby Digital-Plus track falls clearly on the anemic side. There are gun shots and explosions aplenty, however, the punch that one might expect with a modern, big-budget film is non-existent. Gunshots sound flat and an explosion which occurs early on in the film, is really disappointing. While there may be a bit more pop on the dynamic side, I feel the difference is negligible. On the important side however, dialogue was clear and always intelligible.

Surrounds were employed with minimal work beyond a few scenes and LFE (see above) was severely underused. The soundstage was satisfactorily wide and the film proceeds with music oddly placed in style – usually in the form of only a couple of notes here and there or even silence to emphasize its target.

Audio: 5/10




Special Features:

Syriana is another new release title with limited special features – quite surprising, given the accolades the film was afforded. Particularly shocking is the noticeable absence of a commentary track. While I can’t imagine a Special Edition anytime soon, the disc looks like this:

• First up is a Conversation with George Clooney which is a brief – far too brief featurette, as he discusses the theory behind the film and why it seems to be as engaging as it is. Some interesting behind-the-scenes footage is shown as well as discussion with the director and what he wanted in terms of character set-up. I recall being impressed with Clooney’s Arabic which is also discussed in this feature. Clooney sums everything up quite succinctly stating that, “everyone in town wanted in on it – but the screenplay was the star of the film.” Duration: 9:10 minutes.
  
  
• The next special feature is entitled, Make A Change, Make A Difference is basically a carryover from the original feature, this time with appearances from Matt Damon and Stephen Gaghan among others who discuss the status of the world and it’s oil consumption including their personal feelings. Also discussed are societal differences between the western world and the Middle East. Duration: 11:18 minutes.
  
  
• Next up are a series of Deleted Scenes which really do very little one way or the other to add to the near perfect film. Accessible individually or via Play All.
  
  - Scene #8 – Bob, Margaret and Robbie at the café.
  - Scene #58 – Bob and Fred walk and talk
  - Scene #123 – Margaret visits Bob
  
  Total duration: 5:37 minutes.
  
  
• The Theatrical Trailer also appears iand is in excellent condition. Duration: 2:18 minutes.
  
  
• Besides the regular special features ported over from the SD, two other features exclusive to the HD DVD appear – the first (a non HD feature) entitled, A Conversation with Matt Damon. The title is rather straightforward and self-explanatory as the young and likeable actor offers up a number of thoughts relating to the film. Nothing of great significance is revealed here, but the extra inclusion is a welcome one.
  
  
• The other new addition is entitled, Weaving Reality into Drama which is an informative piece that talks about a number of production issues and the central theme of the film in the form of a documentary - perhaps the best feature in the lot, it’s surprising this one never showed up on the SD release. Interesting.
  
  One would think that given the topic at hand, including an Academy Award win, there would have been much more here to discuss. Apparently not. All special features are presented in SD.
  
  Special Features: 3.5/5
  
  
  **Special Features rated for the quality of supplements, not the quantity. Video and Audio portions will be rated from 0-10. The remainder of the review will continue being rated from 0-5 (similar to SD DVD reviews). Since the ratings are not averaged, the final Overall Rating will be from 0-5.**
  
  
  
  Final Thoughts:
  Syriana is a film, which at times is a difficult one to watch; not in the literal sense, but in the corrupt-establishment-offensive-corporate sense. While it’s one thing to condone commercialism at its best, it’s another thing to ignore the grip-hold a single product has over an entire planet. The film is skillfully effective at painting the canvass of world politics as it relates to the oil industry. In the end, if this film doesn’t motivate you to trade in your Range Rover or Hummer in exchange for a mountain bike or a bus pass, then nothing will.
  
  Terrific performances all around, unique and stylized storytelling along with a spruced up HD video presentation all add up to a very easy recommendation in what was without question, one of the year’s finest films.
  
  
  Overall Rating: 4.5/5 (not an average)
  
  
  
  Highly Recommended…!!
  
  
  
  
  Release Date: June 20th, 2006

Re: HTF HD DVD REVIEW: Syriana (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED).

Hi Cees... If you already have this in SD, I'd be hard pressed to recommend the extra $$ just to step up to the HD version. If you don't have it already however, this is the one to get. Great film, either way.

Herb.