In his "Poetics," Aristotle argued that works of drama should, ideally, have a unity of time, place and action. Translated, that means a tight, focused story is better than one that goes off in too many directions, which is precisely the problem with "Syriana" (Warner Bros.), an ambitious, intermittently involving, but mostly confusing political thriller about corruption in the international oil industry.

Written and directed by Stephen Gaghan, "Syriana" -- Washington insider speak for a hypothetical reshaping of the Middle East -- is set against the backdrop of a fictional petroleum-rich Gulf nation.

As in his Oscar-winning screenplay for "Traffic," Gaghan interweaves multiple stories to create a kaleidoscope of greed and intrigue.

The main players include: Bob Barnes (George Clooney), a veteran CIA operative whose loyalty is repaid by betrayal; Prince Nasir (Alexander Siddig), the reform-minded heir apparent of an oil-rich emir; Bryan Woodman (Matt Damon), an energy analyst who becomes entangled in Nasir's dealings through personal tragedy; Bennett Holiday (Jeffrey Wright), a Washington lawyer hired to facilitate a shady merger between two Texas oil giants; and Wasim (Mazhar Munir), a young Pakistani migrant worker recruited by a militant Muslim cleric, after he and his father are laid off from one of Nasir's refineries.

If the narrative wasn't congested enough, there's also an estranged father-son relationship between Barnes and his teenage son (Max Minghella); and Holiday and his boozing father (William C. Mitchell).

Rounding out the overcrowded cast are Christopher Plummer, Chris Cooper, Amanda Peet and William Hurt, all in underwritten roles.

When the disjointed story lines finally dovetail, the result is as unsatisfying as it is improbable.

On a positive note, the ensemble's performances are top-notch across the board -- especially Clooney, who deserves credit for continually choosing interesting roles and not coasting on his matinee-idol looks, packing on 30 pounds for the part.

The documentary-style camerawork by Robert Elswit gives "Syriana" an unvarnished realism and enhances the visceral tension of several scenes, including an intense kidnapping and interrogation sequence not for the faint of heart. The film's Middle East locations also contribute to its overall visual verisimilitude. (It is the first major Western film allowed to shoot in Dubai.)

The film's cynical tone is best illustrated in a scene in which a character lectures Holiday on how "corruption is our protection. Corruption is what keeps us safe and warm."

Making movies with mosaic narratives is nothing new. From D.W. Griffith's "Intolerance" (1915) to this year's "Crash," filmmakers have employed a patchwork approach to explore complex stories and issues from various perspectives.

Gaghan has been quoted as saying that interlocking story lines provided the different points of view that the subject matter demanded. But while touching on important moral and social justice questions involving the global pursuit of wealth, the film loses much of its emotional impact by not having a strong central protagonist with whom to empathize.

In contrast, movies like "Schindler's List" and "Hotel Rwanda" worked well because they told their stories through one character, thereby making complicated topics -- the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide -- accessible and personal.

The film contains strong violence, including a graphic scene of torture, and some rough language and profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted.

-- David DiCerto

Rent

Many believed the late Jonathan Larson's long-running Broadway musical -- a "La Boheme" update which won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize and many other top theatrical awards -- would never make it to the big screen.

But "Rent" (Revolution), concerning the lives and loves of New York's East Village artists, is finally here after nearly 10 years. As if to emphasize its theatrical roots, the movie begins with the cast on a theater stage singing the tuneful "Seasons of Love" and then opens up to a stylized reality, and hones in on several artists who are living on the brink of eviction.

Filmmaker Mark (Anthony Rapp) -- who lives in a tenement with his friend Roger (Adam Pascal), an aspiring composer who is HIV-positive -- is making a documentary about life in the neighborhood. Their friend Collins (Jesse L. Martin -- yes, Detective Edward Green from "Law & Order" sings!), a philosophy professor, is mugged outside their building and drummer Angel (Wilson Jermaine Heredia), a sometime drag queen, comes to his aid. They bond, each revealing he is HIV-positive.

Mimi (Rosario Dawson), an exotic dancer who lives in the building, knocks on Mark and Roger's door to get a light for her candle -- echoing Puccini's heroine in the opera. There's an immediate attraction to Roger who answers the door, but he keeps his emotional distance, partly because he knows about her drug habit. (She, too, is HIV-positive.)

We learn that Mark had once been engaged to performance artist Maureen (Idina Menzel), who left him for another woman, the lawyer Joanne (Tracie Thoms). Maureen is currently planning a demonstration against the group's impending eviction.

Benny (Taye Diggs), their landlord who continues to badger them for the rent instead of following through on his promise of rent-free artist space, had once shared their aspirations, but he has since married the landlord's daughter and stepped over to the establishment side.

He agrees to forget about their past-due rent, if they will stop Maureen's demonstration.

That's the basic setup and along the way, the characters will deal with death and shifting relationships while striving to make their creative marks.

Director Chris Columbus has remained largely faithful to the original -- and has skillfully opened up the play much as Milos Forman did with his 1979 adaptation of the musical "Hair." In that case, Forman had to fashion a story around a plotless show, whereas "Rent" came with a plot, but Columbus has added variety by shooting in different locations and giving the film a gloss that brightens material that could have been relentlessly downbeat. The sung-through musical has been augmented with some short linking dialogue to clarify the story.

One additional improvement over Broadway is that the rock-concert decibel level of the stage version has been toned down to a more moderate level while still retaining its vibrancy.

The cast is superb. The original cast members wear the years lightly, while newcomers Dawson and Thoms fit in beautifully with the ensemble.

The film's subject matter may turn off many viewers, but as a snapshot of a piece of cultural history -- both the era depicted and the musical itself -- it's an impressive achievement.

Larson was a talent poised for a major career until he died unexpectedly of an aortic aneurysm (not AIDS, as is often assumed, given his show's subject matter), on the eve of the show's first preview.

The dissolute, countercultural lifestyles of some of the characters take second place to the overriding themes of love, connection, dealing with loss and appreciation of life.

The film contains implied drug use, same-sex relationships, suggestive dancing and movement, some rough and crude language and an anti-establishment outlook. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

-- Harry Forbes

Harry Forbes is director and David DiCerto is on the staff of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.