The real DIFF - Swoony Clooney in Arabia

Syriana, the movie shot partly on location in Dubai, is about to open in America. The film's writer-director Stephen Gaghan claims the film will help moviegoers understand some of the intricacies of Middle East politics.

According to the New York Daily News, Gaghan said: "To see people sacrifice their personal ethical systems in the face of money and power isn't unique to Persian Gulf kingdoms. It happens in Hollywood every day."

The film is about oil, power and politics in the Middle East, and Gaghan gave a real insight into majlis speak. "There are some real similarities in the way that powerful men talk in [Washington] D.C. and the way they talk in Beirut, Damascus or Dubai."

Sadly, I don't know anyone in Dubai that talks like Swoony Clooney, but there you go. For the record, Matt Damon is apparently much smaller in real life than he looks on celluloid "and a bit disappointing" according to one Damon demon stalker friend of mine.