Enron - The Smartest Guys in the Room Reviews

[Highly rated reviewer]

A Great Watch

With the advent of Michael Moore, sermonizing documentaries attacking every aspect of how the American Dream can fail have become a genre of their own in America. ‘Enron – The Smartest Guys in the Room’ is easily one of the best, surpassing its rivals by avoiding the pitfall of painting everything black and white, indulging in the melodramatic half truths much beloved of Michael Moore.

You simply couldn’t make up the Enron story if you tried, and to director Alex Gibney’s credit he’s realised this, allowing the bare facts – memos, phone calls, conversations – to do the incriminating. The overall effect isn’t flashy, but for that very reason is all the more credible.

Gibney cares much more about the how than the what: we know what the Enron executives were – criminals – but it is how they became criminals which is so interesting. The film gives us a peek inside the parallel universe of delusional, tortured logic that passed for reality at Enron. I did not find myself in sympathy with Lay, Skilling or Fastow, but I felt that afterwards I at least understood their motivations beyond simple greed.

As a story about how a company dedicated itself to hiding the truth and confusing people, it is no small triumph that Gibney is able to explain clearly what fraud was committed and how. The judicious use of footage showing Enron executives lying through their teeth set against the actual facts eloquently expresses how deep the dissimulation went.

Where the film was weak was on the shady political dealings with the Bush White House and with regard to Governor Gray Davis’ recall. Clear and incontrovertible arguments which were everywhere else apparent were conspicuous by their absence in these sections, and I was left unclear as to with what Gibney was actually accusing those involved.

This documentary is superior to others in its genre because it seeks out the uncomfortable truths. Complacency cannot be prosecuted, but it was clearly as much to blame as the greed of Enron executives for what happened. The ease with which so many otherwise ethical people lost their moral compass is remarkable and reminds us that not only could it happen again, but next time it could be us.

THE MOST CREATIVE ACCOUNTING EVER

As much as I love documentaries, I rarely see them twice. However, I have now seen this movie twice at the cinema and now own a region 1 copy. It's the totally compelling story of what was once the 7th largest company in the U.S. which disintegrated under a series of creative accounting scandals. Sounds dull? Not for a second of this 110 minute film does the pace or the interest sag. So intensively researched, you will believe you actually know all of the characters at the end. Your jaw will drop when you discover what corporations will stoop to in order to appear successful on paper. And when you have watched this, check out Bethany McLean's even more detailled book on which this film is based. Not just 1 of the best doc's of the year, one of the best films. Enjoy.

[Highly rated reviewer]

More Bad Guys than AVP

This was a terrifically paced documentary. The parts about how evil people could become when motivated purely by money were both terrifying and mouth open shocking.

The idea of using Tom Waits music as a central score worked brilliantly in making the whole feel like a narrative and the sheer cheek of those invoved is astounding.

First class accessible film making for all comers. Do not be put off by the highbrow overtones. I 'got' everything they were talking about, so you should have no problems.

Thought provoking documentary.

I watched this a little while ago but it still sticks in the memory. The style is slightly in the same vein as Michael Moore's 'Bowling for columbine' but has no actual presenter. For most of us in the UK we do not really know the reasons why Enron fell such as it did and this documentary shows an excellent history of why it happened upto nearly present day. It shows the different businesses the company was involved in and also has detailed interviews with insiders/ex employees of the company. Since I work in a similar type of industry then I can kinda relate to some of the things that happened such as the energy crisis. Overall it is thought provoking and very interesting. Good narrator and serves as a wonderful beginners insight into the scandal. I gave this film four stars as it wont appeal to everyone in the family, I mean its not a childrens film.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Unbelievable greed is fascinating

This is an absolutely fantastic look at how greed can spiral out of control and lies can decieve even the peolple who start them.

Even if you don't understand how markets and massive corporate companies work ( I don't ) this is still essential viewing for anyone interested in either the frightening power of big business or the car crash television of a mighty downfall.

Enron's head shakers and movers basically fiddle the books, lie to investors and invent profits in a horrid attempt to be the biggest global company. This greed and head busting vanity filters all the way down to the most basic of traders on the floor, in turn companies are invented to soak up debts, California is held to ransom over electricity and anyone with anything to do with Enron suffers.

It is incredible to watch the CEOs lie with scary sincerity about how everything is fine even when the cracks are splitting open at an extraordinary rate and they themselves are jumping ship by offloading all their own shares.

Watch this in absolute disbelief. You'll be horrified at the greed, corruption and lies but fascinated at the inevitable collapse of something believed to be invincible. Especially enjoyable is the journalist ( one of the main narrators ) who dared to ask the question 'How does Enron actually make money? ' Nobody at Enron seemed able to answer this and so began the head scratching and questions leading to exposure and collapse.

If you learn one thing from this film it will be ' Ask Why '

Rags to Riches then Bankrupt

A documentary about greed. Enrol had it all and was worth billions of $, this film shows how they went from one of the wealthiest organisations in America to absolute bankruptcy, but you may take pleasure in knowing that although the director had a handsome payout of hundreds of thousands dollars, justice has now been done.

Cooking the books and then themselves !

A very well made documentary that explains the facts and motivations of greed which resulted with the biggest bankcruptcy in corporate history. The documentary is more talking heads and narration than a one man crusade which are the hallmarks of Michael Moore and Morgan Spurlock who made Supersize Me. Maybe it was because of this the documentary, although informative, is not as engaging when compared to Bowling for Columbine. The documentary did need a little sparkling up with maybe the inclusion of animation or graphics. Limited to stock footage and recorded phone conversations it still cleverly lays down a fascinating story of how corruption, greed and the desire to be the best at all costs usually came at the expense of good ethics and morality. Having read about the black outs in California in the late 90s I was astonished to find that this was actually because of Enron's cynical policy to up the price of power by switching off power plants. Remarkable and sad at the same time. Dated now given that Kenneth Lay is now dead from stress induced heart-attack but fascinating all the same.

I learnt a lot...

I had no idea all that Californian enery crisis stuff was down to them too. The Enron execs come across as truly horrid, so compelling to watch from that perspective. Good for the girl that outed them too. How brave is that?! Bit embarrassed to say that I didn't understand all of it given that I'm an accountant, but they do go into all the gory details of the financials. Not an easy to watch film, but I enjoyed it.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Standard business doco

OK but fell asleep - only good if you have a real passion for the industry.

Not particularly illuminating

Not a bad documentary but not particularly compelling to watch and lacks real illuminating insights