Barbarians at the Gate

Entertaining look at the in-fighting involved in the takeover of the Nabisco Co. The CEO of Nabisco wants to buy out the company, but is thwarted by the machinations of a big money rival. A rousing financial war begins leading to a satisfying grand finale. I liked the dialogue, especially the witty quips that James Garner was fond of throwing out. Jonathan Pryce was great as the chilling corporate raider. Thumbs up.

In 1989, investigative journalists Bryan Burrough and John Helyar released 'Barbarians At The Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco,' considered by many to be one of the finest books about business ever written. Detailing CEO F. Ross Johnson's attempts to buy out the rest of his shareholders after the failure of the new, smokeless Premier cigarette, the book is an engrossing, humorous peek into a cut-throat corporate world of greed and backstabbing. An instant bestseller moving at the pace of a spy-thriller, it is a fascinating true story that begged for screen treatment.

Consequently, in 1993, HBO released a TV movie adaptation. 'Barbarians at the Gate,' directed by Glenn Jordan, faithfully retells the events of Burrough and Helyar's book, and is just as gripping as its source material. Larry Gelbart's screenplay makes the arcane language of business easily comprehensible, while ensuring the narrative maintains tension and momentum. It is also a funny film full of irony, satirising the ostentation of the 1980's and the rapaciousness of the money men of the time.

Moreover, the dialogue- often taken directly from the book which was, in turn, taken from interviews with the real-life players involved- is delightfully vulgar and witty. There are many hilarious lines throughout, which one will recall long after the credits have rolled; nearly everything uttered during the sequence involving the Premier cigarette comes immediately to mind. Furthermore, the self-made millionaire Johnson makes for a compelling central character- though one not without faults.

Johnson, although charismatic and likable, is essentially just as greedy as his rival, the calculated Henry Kravis, who is also trying to take control of the company. In some ways, he is worse, as he hides his ambition and avarice beneath good 'ol boy charm, claiming to be a man of the people while flying his dog around the country in a private jet. He's an interesting man of contradictions, whose attempts to turn a foul cigarette into a hit, and buy out RJR Nabisco, makes for an entertaining watch.

On the technical side of things, the cinematography is nothing to write home about, leaning towards the conventional, in terms of set-ups, framing and angles. However, this lack of flashy stylizations compounds the realism of the narrative, which could be seen as a boon. Meanwhile, Richard Gibbs's overblown score is the musical equivalent of shoulder pads and spandex- so stereotypically 1980's it sounds like it was written for a 'Scarface' rip-off. On the other hand, Linda Pearl's production design is commendable, accurately recreating Johnson's opulent world.

One of the most beloved actors of his generation, James Garner stars as Johnson, delivering a typically nuanced performance with his trademark ease. He never sets a foot wrong, making Johnson compelling despite his faults. Jonathan Pryce brings a cold detachment to the role of Kravis, which is chillingly effective, while Matt Clark shines as Johnson's friend and ally Edward A. Horrigan Jr. Additionally, Peter Riegert and Joanna Cassidy both do fine work as Peter Cohen and Linda Robinson, Johnson's business partners, while David Rasche nearly steals the show completely in the all-too-small part of Ted Forstmann.

In short, Glenn Jordan's 'Barbarians at the Gate' is a masterful adaptation capturing the essence of its source material while providing a satirical look at the excesses of the 1980's. Its relevance today, in an era still marked by corporate greed and financial manoeuvring, makes it a timeless piece worth watching. Well-written and strongly acted, it is a portrait of the brutal world of business that lingers in the mind like the smell of a Premier cigarette.

Can a made-for-TV movie about leveraged buy outs ("LBO"s) be funny? Yup.

I haven't read the book but the teleplay by Gelbart is very amusing and sometimes hilarious. Be prepared for the profanity which generates some of the best laughs. "There should be a warning on every pack: Danger, these cigarettes will tear your b***s off."

But it isn't just the swearing that makes this movie as funny as it is. The set ups are marvelously done. The initial big celebration held by RJR Nabisco features a character who suffers a cruel cough every time he tries to light his cigarette until Garner comes over and flicks open a lighter to help him.

All the characters' roles are well written but I wish Fred Dalton Thompson had an expression other than his default -- as if he were watching his daughter marry a biker with a face tattoo. James Garner gets the palm, not just for his unforced and vulgar wit but for a breezy disregard for everything except his own wealth, exemplified in his fleet of jet airplanes with their private hangar. Garner keeps denigrating the pursuit of wealth for it's own sake -- "After all, how many sets of golf clubs can you be buried with?" -- but acts all the way through as if that were his one and only priority. In his own defense, he says indignantly, "I don't plan to be homeless -- or planeless either for that matter."

There must have been enormous pressure on Gelbart and the others involved to turn this movie "serious" towards the end, to bring in cancer and emphysema, a sobbing victim, a military-industrial conspiracy to undermine the health of the proletariat, to expose big business for the angry, villainous, mean-spirited, duplicitous cretins that they are but, thank Bog, Gelbart resisted any tendency to make the movie "about something." He keeps the ending as ironic as the rest of the film.

Poor Garner. He loses his job, "The first time I've been out of work since I was fourteen," he moans, and retires with a severance package amounting (after taxes) to only $23m. Close on a shot of a mansion in Palm Beach.

Most people think Larry Gelbart is a genius, as do I.

The story of H. Ross Johnson and the rise of Nabisco is a historical milestone of the 1980's corporate America. The book, Barbarians at the Gate, from which this film was based lays out in detail, every outrageous, and more outrageous step in what ultimately became the biggest corporate acquisition in US history (to date). THIS IS A TRUE STORY.

The principals include James Garner, great as Johnson, the Canadian door-to-door salesman who's rise through the ranks of the American corporate system provides the centerpiece around which the entire story revolves. Jonathan Pryce at his most prick-like is corporate raider Henry Kravitz, a man who's life is so cold, you'd have to heat his wife with a blow torch just to warm her to frigid-the self-indulgent, self-described fashion designer Carolyn Roehm. (The real-life Roehm can be seen intermittently adding festive bunting to the set of Good Morning America during the holidays). Senator Fred Dalton Thompson's Jim Robinson, then chairman of American Express shows us what its really like when the wife controls the purse-strings, as well as you, and everything else in sight.

Great supporting cast includes Peter Riegert, as the since never heard from Peter Cohen, Joanna Cassidy as the legend in her own mind Linda Gosden Robinson, Leilani Sarelle Ferrer (Sharon Stone's gal-pal in Basic Instinct), Jeffrey DeMunn, and David Rasche

If you don't have time to read the book, do see the movie, where Gelbart's wonderful script provided HBO one of their first hits in the made-for-cable genre. Wall to wall laughs, with a little educative value to boot.

After you've watched the film, you might ask yourself---`who paid for all the corporate excess, the inefficiency, stupidity, the feeding of massive egos, and blatant disregard for the ‘little people'?'

Being not a political person, I leave you to your own resolve.

A story of greed, F. Ross Johnson's attempt to rid himself of troublesome shareholders who bug him with cries to curb his excessive management and lifestyle ignites a bidding war for ownership of RJR-Nabisco. Through sessions of number-crunching, men's room meetings, and personal loyalties and competitions, the fate of the company and those involved is decided and standards set for what will be allowed or punished by the captains of industry of the 1980's heyday.

For a movie dealing with such despicable and probably in real life boring characters, the final product is delightful, entertaining, and almost educational. While the level of greed and excess is appalling, you can't help getting caught up in the wheeling and dealing and the competition, rooting for one side or the other while knowing you shouldn't like either one. The greedy CEO or the heartless junk-bond trader (Henry Kravis), take your pick and enjoy. No one is immune to the satire of the film, down to the trophy wives and their manicurists who know more about Wall Street than they do. Still, the comic tone is maintained; as much as you want to hate them, the film avoids moralizing, content just to ridicule and make the audience laugh.

The attention to detail in the movie is simply brilliant. Whenever there is a TV screen or someone lighting a cigarette in the background, pay attention or you may miss a good laugh. It boasts clearly the best costumes of any Wall Street movie, from costume parties to Bush-Quayle hoedowns. Witty and satirical dialogue is accompanied by a well-chosen score. Details and incidents with little to do with the actual plot add to the entertainment value while not distracting from the story. Overall a great movie, funny and cool, makes you think a little: would you really want to be one of them?