02/09/06 Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room

Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room (2005), directed by Alex Gibney

watched w/ Leslie (partially); DVD rental (Netflix) @ home

I can see where this intriguing piece will sway a lot of Oscar ballots over the very likeable March Of The Penguins & grittier Murderball. This is a rags to riches to corrupt Armani suits to rags tale...and it's based in actuality. This doc delves deep into the heavily layered rise & fall of one of the most scandalous companies in America's history. It's amazing to see this story unfold and play out in the media circus that it was. It may in some way provide the Michael Moore-slant in it being a film, but it's hard to ignore the many video & audio-taped discussions by many of the people involved in this scandal. This level of white collar crime should not ever go unpunished, as it is a real tale that has left so many hard-working people with nothing left. While not a damning statement, I thought this well done documentary opened tons of debate, discussion and question marks left behind by such a debacle.

4 out of 5 stars