Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005) 7.7
A documentary about the Enron corporation, its faulty and corrupt business practices, and how they led to its fall. Director:Alex Gibney |
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Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005) 7.7
A documentary about the Enron corporation, its faulty and corrupt business practices, and how they led to its fall. Director:Alex Gibney |
|
| 0Share... |
| Credited cast: | |||
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John Beard | ... |
Himself - Former Enron Accountant
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Tim Belden | ... |
Himself
(archive footage)
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| Barbara Boxer | ... |
Herself
(archive footage)
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| George W. Bush | ... |
Himself
(archive footage)
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Jim Chanos | ... |
Himself - President, Kynikos Associates
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Dick Cheney | ... |
Himself
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| Bill Clinton | ... |
Himself
(archive footage)
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Carol Coale | ... |
Herself - Ex-Stock Analyst, Prudential Securities
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| Peter Coyote | ... |
Narrator
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| Gray Davis | ... |
Himself - Former Governor of California
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Reggie Dees II | ... |
Himself - Young man the stripper dances in front of
(as Reggie Deets II)
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Joseph Dunn | ... |
Himself - California State Senator
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Max Eberts | ... |
Himself - Former Spokesman, Enron Energy Services
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Peter Elkind | ... |
Himself - Co-Author, 'The Smartest Guys in the Room'
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Andrew Fastow | ... |
Himself
(archive footage)
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Enron dives from the seventh largest US company to bankruptcy in less than a year in this tale told chronologically. The emphasis is on human drama, from suicide to 20,000 people sacked: the personalities of Ken Lay (with Falwellesque rectitude), Jeff Skilling (he of big ideas), Lou Pai (gone with $250 M), and Andy Fastow (the dark prince) dominate. Along the way, we watch Enron game California's deregulated electricity market, get a free pass from Arthur Andersen (which okays the dubious mark-to-market accounting), use greed to manipulate banks and brokerages (Merrill Lynch fires the analyst who questions Enron's rise), and hear from both Presidents Bush what great guys these are. Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
OK. I remember when this came out, I thought that business stuff is not my forte, and so I never bothered to watch it. But tonight my boyfriend was watching it on PBS, and the filmmakers and people being interviewed totally make it understandable. And I am totally appalled. It boggles my head that these people, not just Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling, but also just the common traders on the floor, were so scarily insane and greedy. Some of the clips of traders talking on the floor or phones about events in California, etc., were the scariest and (I know I said it before, but...) appalling! I highly recommend this film. I feel terribly sorry for all of those people who got caught up in the maelstrom. Somehow, I find this documentary about corporate finance gone bad creepier than any horror film... cause it is real!