DIFFICULT DECISIONS: Syriana director and screenwriter Stephen Gaghan knows his movie makes some people uncomfortable. And he thinks he knows why. "All my characters are faced with the devil. The devil often wears an Armani suit. None of my characters makes conventional movie decisions. And that makes some people uneasy. They recognize themselves in the movie. In real life, most of us do not make conventional movie decisions."
SHORT AND SWEET: Back when The Big Chill came out in 1983, The Dallas Morning News asked William Hurt why he chose to follow his breakthrough role in Body Heat with an ensemble movie. "I come to serve, not to be served," he pontificated. At the time it sounded pretentious, but he has the last laugh. In Syriana, he creates an indelible impression with only a few moments of footage as a patrician, elegant, weary former CIA agent. Earlier this year, in a small role in A History of Violence , he was anything but patrician and elegant. But he was unforgettable. May he continue to serve.
PACK ON THE POUNDS: Much has been made of George Clooney's weight gain. The normally debonaire star gained 30 – count 'em, 30! – pounds to play Syriana's weary CIA agent. He's also the object of a fingernail torture scene that might win chuckles from Bill O'Reilly. So how does George look during most of the film? Well, a touch flabby, as you might guess. And the torture session leaves him with a coupla bruises. But much of the visual effect is done with lighting. He'd still be welcome at Al Biernat's.
Philip Wuntch
