Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2004)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Jim H

  
  This documentary spins the tale of the nation's most disastrous failure of accounting standards and corporate greed in recent memory. The narration and visuals uniquely balance a straight presentation of the facts and an indictment of the scandal's main players. We get… More
  This documentary spins the tale of the nation's most disastrous failure of accounting standards and corporate greed in recent memory. The narration and visuals uniquely balance a straight presentation of the facts and an indictment of the scandal's main players. We get images of lurid strip clubs, where one of the Enron executives spent his billions of loot, and we also see sober, intelligent investigative reporters telling us about mark-to-market accounting and stock options. However, I think, by the end of the film, the balance tips in favor of pathos arguments, as the film attempts to get us more outraged. Also, the film hints at a broader social commentary, but I don't see this followed through. One "talking head" says, "[The Enron scandal] could happen again." I'm assuming this is even after Sarbanes-Oxley. Likewise, we're instructed by the film to get to know these characters, and by knowing them, perhaps we could see their hubris elsewhere. However, as I said, I don't see these themes explored with the depth they deserve. I want to hear people smarter than I explaining why Americans feel the obsessive need to compile what eventually amounts to Monopoly money. After all, it's virtually impossible to spend a hundred billion dollars in a lifetime, but we sure do try.

• Melvin W

  
  The Smartest Guys in the Room is a fascinating and well made documentary. It chronicles the rise and fall of Enron and it's corrupt leaders. It balances the serious situation with some humor well, making it an entertaining look at Enrons fall.

• Daniel P

  
  One of the better contemporary documentaries I've seen, this film is thorough but accessible, and it's on rock-solid footing, based on the book by journalist Bethany McLean as it is. Even if you're not well-acquainted with the business section of your daily newspaper,… More
  One of the better contemporary documentaries I've seen, this film is thorough but accessible, and it's on rock-solid footing, based on the book by journalist Bethany McLean as it is. Even if you're not well-acquainted with the business section of your daily newspaper, you will stay with this one until the end. Enron is a stunning story, and this doc captures it well. What the film does best is this: it answers its own questions. I watched it with my girlfriend, who might be the only person I know that's less business savvy than me, so we paused a few times to discuss. Every time we hit play, the film answered the question that we had just asked. A very conscious and worthwhile film.

• Jay H

  
  A fast-paced examination of the fall of Enron, this film is certainly a well-made documentary that took me from having absolutely no knowledge to having a pretty good understanding of the greatest corporate scandal in American history. Highly recommended.

• Luke B

  
  This is the story of Enron, a legacy that unraveled so fast, that at the the time, I had no idea what was going on. The film manages to describe, in some detail, all the shady goings on. We are given an in depth look at corruption, greed and absent morals. Money is lost, money is… More
  This is the story of Enron, a legacy that unraveled so fast, that at the the time, I had no idea what was going on. The film manages to describe, in some detail, all the shady goings on. We are given an in depth look at corruption, greed and absent morals. Money is lost, money is embezzled and it soon becomes so complex that your head might explode. Luckily, the subject matter is so engaging and riveting that you can't look away. Some of those responsible for the mess do come across as tragic characters that have lost their way. A brilliant piece of work that may be one sided, but surely there's only one side to be on.

• Ginny  

  
  The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron A dramatized crime story of how Enron became one of the largest corporations in America. Its like listening to a news coverage with dramatizations mixed with some funky sounds from the millenium. Watching this will either make you gasp… More
  The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron A dramatized crime story of how Enron became one of the largest corporations in America. Its like listening to a news coverage with dramatizations mixed with some funky sounds from the millenium. Watching this will either make you gasp or make you mad. Its astonishing that even Fortune magazine was conned into listing this company as a Fortune 500 company. I guess in the end them folks at Fortune had to do something for the mistake they made as well, hence this video documentary slash true crime story.. "The documentary is based on the best-selling book of the same title, co-written by Fortune magazine's Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind. It is assembled out of a wealth of documentary and video footage, narrated by Peter Coyote, from testimony at congressional hearings, and from interviews with such figures as disillusioned Enron exec Mike Muckleroy and whistle-blower Sherron Watkins." ~ Roger Ebert As educational and interesting as the story is, how they compiled all these facts into a film wasnt that effective. But if youre just interested with the facts, best be in a comfy couch cuz this is one long news story. Running time: 1 hr and 50 mins. Genre: Documentary/True crime story <b>Related News Articles: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enron_scandal"><u>The Enron Scandal</u></a><br><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1780075.stm"><u>BBC: Enron Scandal at a Glance</u></a></b>

• E.J. B

  
  Investigates the scandal with serious insight so you understand what really happened.

• Emily A

  
  This movie was really well made, and a real eye-opener for those curious about the whole culture of book-cooking and backroom deals that govern corporate America. I mean, what was shown was appalling though. Wanna know why California experiences those blackouts? Watch this movie. This… More
  This movie was really well made, and a real eye-opener for those curious about the whole culture of book-cooking and backroom deals that govern corporate America. I mean, what was shown was appalling though. Wanna know why California experiences those blackouts? Watch this movie. This is one for those who don't like to be coddled by thier entertainment.

• Nate Z

  
  [color=darkred][center][font=Arial][color=darkred][img]http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/5787/photo010hn.jpg[/img][/color][/font][/center] [font=Arial][color=darkred][/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Crash ? A searing look at race relations and a powerful human drama at… More
  [color=darkred][center][font=Arial][color=darkred][img]http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/5787/photo010hn.jpg[/img][/color][/font][/center] [font=Arial][color=darkred][/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Crash ? A searing look at race relations and a powerful human drama at that. This flick has some of the sharpest memories I?ve had from any movie all year, particularly the relationship between a Hispanic locksmith (Michael Pena) and his daughter and a special invisible cloak. Their first scene, where he talks her out of hiding under her bed, is one of the most beautifully written short scenes I have ever witnessed. A late scene involving the two of them knocked the wind out of me completely and is the most vivid moviegoing moment of all 2005 for me. Every character has at least one great moment, though time is not spaced equally amongst this large ensemble. [i]Crash[/i] has the intriguing practice of introducing near every character spouting some kind of racist diatribe, and then the movie spend the rest of its running time opening you up to these characters and getting to like them. Writer/director Paul Haggis has such a natural ear for terse, realistic dialogue that can really define characters with such brevity. A great movie, despite the overarching coincidences (I was rooting for [i]Brokeback[/i] come Oscar night even though they?re neck-and-neck in my view).[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Nate?s Grade: A[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Millions ? This movie feels like someone is projecting straight from the bountiful imagination of a child. It?s wildly whimsical and fantastical; it?s a fantasy film and a family film that never falters into treacle. Director Danny Boyle ([i]Trainspotting[/i], [i]28 Days Later[/i]) of all people has crafted a masterful living fantasy with great emotional heft. I was left very teary by the end and have remained so with repeat viewings. [i]Millions[/i] has great visuals, great acting, and is a great movie.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Nate?s Grade: A[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room ? The brilliance of this Oscar-nominated documentary is how distills a complicated, math-heavy scandal and makes it so easily digestible. The Enron tale really is a story calling out for the medium of film, relying on sound bytes, testimonials, public statements, interviews, video clips, and director Alex Gibny masterfully orchestrates the telling. The film is insightful, informative, and incredibly entertaining. It?s a real pleasure to watch, and you?ll be left scratching your head at how certain economic laws are even possible. If you are confused by the Enron scandal or know little to nothing about the biggest corporate scandal of our times (Enron was the seventh biggest corp. at one point), spend two hours of your life and watch this excellent film.[/color][/font] [/color][font='Times New Roman'][font=Arial][size=2][color=darkred]Nate?s Grade: A[/color][/size][/font][/font] [font='Times New Roman'][/font] [font='Times New Roman'][/font][font=Arial][color=darkred]The Matador ? This is an adequate movie that doesn?t really resonate because at its heart it feels like a lot of interesting ideas and characters that are languished with a sitcom plot. I never thought Pierce Brosnan?s performance as the aging hit man was as funny as the film thought it was. [i]The Matador[/i] is actually a more interesting movie than funny or amusing. The movie doesn?t go deep enough; the story isn?t as refined as it could be, and there are so few set pieces that this flick could have worked as a play. The end feels a bit too tidy and asks Greg Kinnear?s ordinary husband character to act out of character. There?s an extended talk in [i]The Matador[/i] between Kinnear and his wife and Brosnan upon his unexpected visit, and it feels like a sitcom like the wacky neighbor next door has come over and hatched a hilarious scheme. I enjoyed the characters but they really just sit and stew in a really weak story. The characters are richly drawn but have nowhere to go.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Nate?s Grade: B-[/color][/font]

• Walter M

  
  [font=Century Gothic]"Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room" is a very informative documentary about the rise of fall of Enron, the energy speculating corporation, that massively manipulated its own stock until it all came undone in 2001. It focuses on interviews with… More
  [font=Century Gothic]"Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room" is a very informative documentary about the rise of fall of Enron, the energy speculating corporation, that massively manipulated its own stock until it all came undone in 2001. It focuses on interviews with people who were involved and with various journalists. My only problem with the documentary was that it did not focus on the rank and file employees who suffered the most. [/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]Enron had manipulated its stock by forecasting profits that simply did not exist. [/font][font=Century Gothic]The documentary showed the stock market as nothing more than legalized gambling. It makes the perfect case for regulation because in a totally deregulated market, there would be a massive free-for-all where a select few would become wealthy on the backs of everyone else. For example, Enron enjoyed huge profits because of energy deregulation in California which led to the energy crisis and rolling blackouts there. [/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]In this indictment of corporate culture, Ken Lay is eventually responsible for most of the mess as chairman but many more people down the line were also responsible for simply following the corporate line. Also, outside companies like accounting firm Arthur Andersen, shared in the blame. There was simply too much stress on making profits, and not on applied ethics. Simply put, it was intelligence without wisdom. [/font]

• Lesley N

  
  Documentary about those naughty boys at Enron and the financial disaster that gets caused by the greedy and arrogant being allowed to play unchecked in the higher echelons of corporate power. It's uncharitable to say but I hope when Jeff Skilling's old and dribbling in an… More
  Documentary about those naughty boys at Enron and the financial disaster that gets caused by the greedy and arrogant being allowed to play unchecked in the higher echelons of corporate power. It's uncharitable to say but I hope when Jeff Skilling's old and dribbling in an OAP home, the employees there show him the same lack of consideration & respect he showed people when he was multi-million-dollar earning CEO. The git. .

• meril l

  
  I could almost tell what they were talking about. A well-made documentary, in any case.

• Mike T

  
  Very informative and interesting documentary.

• Curt C

  
  Informative, but I have to admit I don't have incredible interest in corporate America. Nothing here really surprised me save the section about California's power issues.

• Tom S

  
  The sequence when they intercut the old experiment footage with the traders on their phones is powerful filmmaking.

• Kevin M

  
  I strongly vouch for the content and delivery of the information relayed in this fantastic documentary. Not only are many Enron executives implicated in thunderous cases of severe corruption, but high-ranking officials of the Bush government and the 'Big 5' banks are… More
  I strongly vouch for the content and delivery of the information relayed in this fantastic documentary. Not only are many Enron executives implicated in thunderous cases of severe corruption, but high-ranking officials of the Bush government and the 'Big 5' banks are directly linked. With Dick Cheney's decision to appoint Ken Lay as the Secretary of Energy (under George W Bush) and Jeff Skilling's presentation of an achievement award to Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, I'm certain that the expose could have lasted several more hours. With direct evidence and dramatic events linking Enron, PG&E and the Bush government to extremely corrupt practices - I'm surprised to see how many of you remain apathetic towards corporate counter-culture in America. Although Bush publicly chastised Enron, WorldCom and other dotcom profiteers after their demise, he and his cabinet openly praised and defended them for their contribution to the American economy for many years prior. Support a coke-addicted, drunk Texan C-student as President, and you've become the fool they've hoped you'd be.

• Nate H

  
  Pretty well-produced and it certainly seemed to be comprehensive, though a couple of the directorial choices seemed a little odd. Seemed more like an isolated case study than any sort of real message movie, which I suppose it intended to be, but it left me wanting a bit more. It takes… More
  Pretty well-produced and it certainly seemed to be comprehensive, though a couple of the directorial choices seemed a little odd. Seemed more like an isolated case study than any sort of real message movie, which I suppose it intended to be, but it left me wanting a bit more. It takes a lot more than a (crappy) suit and millions of dollars to make you a man. Or even an adult.

Read all 17 featured audience ratings