The performances were very good, but the story just could not be saved because of it's bloated content. What this movie did highlight very well was the very complex and corrupt nature of international oil dealings. 
From the greed of the oil companies, the power hunger of investigators and CIA agents looking for positions of power, the greed of financial companies trying to profit off the oil dealings, and the desperate greed for recognition and salvation of a young man destined to become a homicide bomber. Those interested in this sort of political intrigue may find it worthwhile, but i was almost confused and struggled to understand the connections fully. Not for the easily bored, this one could be a very good example of how things work on oil, so if your interested in the subject and can follow the storyline, it should be enjoyable. Trust me, kids will be bored and confused completley, so keep that in mind.
Plot: A complex web of Human threads make up this political thriller's tapestry about how the global oil industry works and how it makes things work. How do a oil worker in the fields of the Gulf, a C.I.A. operative, an up and coming oil company executive and a teenager in Pakistan fit into this tapestry? Nothing is ever as simple as it aught to be, and when your dealing with something as massive as oil, then it gets even leass simple. Power and wealth drive this story about the human element that connects the dots to the multi billion dollar deals that make and break people, parties, countries and the world.

Bill's Popcorn Rating: * * of 5
Studio: Warner Brothers
Director: Stephen Gaghan
Actors: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Jeffrey Wright
Running Time: 123m
DVD Release Date: N/A