In the end, it will take a pretty keen interest in the Enron case and accounting practices in general to truly enjoy this movie, as even the human tragedy is centered on economic concerns. Enron CFO Andy Fastow is unfavorably compared to the Cheshire Cat, and the description of executive Lou Pai focuses more on his sexual deviancy than his fiscal misconduct. The execs are labeled “ex-nerds” and are repeatedly compared to a clique of popular high school students who terrorize their school. The company’s top dogs are simplistically characterized as completely brutal, heartless, and immature. Of all the insiders interviewed, not one comes from the Lay or Skilling camps. Unfortunately, the documentary leaves the viewer feeling that he’s only heard half the story. Exciting scenes that get to the core of the villainy involved include Ken Lay joking about the California energy crisis, Enron traders talking about ripping off grandmothers, and a bizarre “video Valentine” from both Presidents Bush to former Enron President Jeffrey Skilling.
The journalistic bent of the film is apparent in the filmmaker’s acquisition of internal memos, audio recordings and video footage that stand out as particularly worthwhile.īut the fun goes beyond bare investigation. The film is told almost entirely through testimonials, featuring interviews with everyone from a California blue-collar worker who saw his pension fund raided to former Enron VPs.
#Summary of enron the smartest guys in the room trial
Top executives, such as CEO Ken Lay, are currently under house arrest and await trial next January.Īs most of the audience going to this type of documentary comes in to the theater knowing the conclusion, the film focuses on the people rather than the numbers, casting the entire story as a “human tragedy.” With careful attention to detail, “Enron” documents the stories of the fresh young traders corrupted by the system, the trusting investors fleeced for all they were worth, and the executives possessed of a seemingly bottomless greed. The film is a relatively straightforward account of the rise and fall of Enron, the infamous energy company whose top executives carted away hundreds of millions while their investors and employees lost billions. The words “economic documentary” and “sexy good time” are rarely used to describe the same movie, and despite a brief tribute to one executive’s stripper fetish, Alex Gibney’s “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room” continues this trend.
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