The fall of one of America’s most successful businesses is documented in ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM. As I’m sure you know, Enron filed for bankruptcy a few years ago, but not before the company’s executive officers withdrew millions of dollars in stock options, and left thousands of employees and stockholders penniless. This documentary tracks the rise of the business, and their fall due to accounting fraud, arrogance and a detrimental never-say-die mentality.
In many ways, the power hungry real-life characters in ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM resemble the same plight of STAR WAR’S Anakin Skywalker. They began with good intentions, but due to an extraordinary amount of ego and power, they convinced themselves that they would achieve their ultimate goal…at any cost. The documentary is based on the book, written by Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind, and nicely lays out the rise and fall of the company. I’m not sure how interesting the real big-wigs at Enron were, but director Alex Gibney ratchets up their personalities to construct some fairly obnoxious characters. The only recognizable flaw of the film is its poorly presented political motivations. It sinks to guilt by association, trying to implicate President Bush in the Enron scandal simply by stating he was a friend of Enron CEO Kenneth Lay. It also lays more blame on Bush for the California blackouts, than the state’s own governor at the time, Grey Davis. Despite it’s poorly executed politics, ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM adeptly illustrates how greed and pride can topple the most successful and intelligent individuals.
Grade: B-
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