Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer

This two hour depiction of the rise and sudden fall of a dedicated public servant is built around two interviews: one with Eliot Spitzer himself, post-resignation, the other with a young actress playing the part of one "Angelina", a high class prostitute. Angelina claims to have had many "appointments" with Gov. Spitzer in many cities, while it was a mere one night stand with "Kristin" who got all the publicity.

Here we see the first of several, perhaps unavoidable, flaws in the documentary: reliance on weak sources whose statements cannot be independently verified. As no one is talking, not the FBI, the federal prosecutors nor Spitzer himself, you cannot know if "Angelina" is making the whole story up. However, her account does not defame the ex-Governor, paint him as sexually perverted or even ungentlemanly. She also voices harsh skepticism of "Kristin" and other girls in the life who claim victimhood currently or in the past.

The format is the standard Talking Heads with some news footage thrown in. Documentarian Gibney cannot resist resorting to lurid shots of scantily dressed women and a hip hop soundtrack when exploring the half-world of high end prostitution. Guess he felt he needed to sex it up in order to sell the film but to me this seemed cheap and frivolous.

With its evident bias in favor of its subject, the film mentions only in passing how Elliott Spitzer's own self-righteousness and abrasive behavior during his year as Governor may have left him without a friend in Albany when he badly needed friends. Admittedly, the State capital was a sinkhole of corruption and waste, but Spitzer's demeanor, like Christ come to cleanse the Temple, was probably the wrong way to go about reforming it.

There is an ample cast of villains -- though why these agreed to be interviewed for this documentary remains a mystery -- including former chairman and c.e.o. of insurance giant A.I.G., Maurice "Hank" Greenberg, Joseph Bruno, former Majority Leader of the New York State Senate (later convicted on federal corruption charges) and even a few words from Wall Street mega-millionaires Ralph Langone and Richard Grasso, bitter and powerful enemies from when Spitzer as Attorney General tried to rein in their insatiable GREED.

The film implies that the current fiscal crisis might have been averted had former Sheriff of Wall Street Spitzer remained in the Governor's mansion. This is doubtful, as doubtful as the claim by Hank Greenberg that A.I.G. would be a solvent company today instead of in federal receivership had he not been kicked out by his own board of directors following revelations by Attorney General Spitzer of accounting irregularities. The abuses Spitzer went after, such as executive compensation and price fixing, were not what caused the fiscal crisis of 2008. That was a result of risky loans and overvalued real estate which, ironically, was what the Spitzer family money was based on.

The ex-governor is shown to be repentant, chastened, fit to return to public service even if the White House now is out of reach. His vices, the documentary seems to say, are only those natural to a man. That Eliot Spitzer can be arraigned for hypocrisy, having himself prosecuted prostitution rings, gets perhaps twenty words in the whole film.

This is not a movie about a client of prostitution, the title notwithstanding. Obviously the title was chosen to "sell" the documentary, and my guess is that it has failed in its purpose. This is a truly terrific film about power politics. If you don't know much about the inner workings of government at the highest levels, this movie will go a long way to educate you. If you do know, this will likely confirm your experience. It is also hugely instructive about the brilliant Eliot Spitzer who was and is clearly dedicated to furthering the public good. The loss of his public service is a huge loss for American consumers. His responses to questions about his foolish indiscretions are forthright; that doesn't mean he fully understands why he did what he did-- who can? People are imperfect. They goof up at the worst possible times. The important questions that the film raises and that go unanswered have to do with how, in a country that processes millions of checks and money orders each month, were his (for $10,000 or maybe less) "singled out" for investigation? =

This shows everything that's wrong with America today - and it was filmed 12 years ago.

Nothing changes.

There's no point in pointing out the crooked business men (It's worth nothing now, $100 MILLION. YOU FOUL OLD MAN!). Sorry. But that lip-less old fart pissed me off the second he came on the screen.

What saddened me about Spitzer is that his need to be with girls his daughters' ages, cost him (and us) all the good that he did do originally! And he has three daughters!! That's disgusting.

This was a very depressing documentary. On sooooooo many levels.

It's a cautionary tail.

As I saw disgraced Governor Spitzer conduct a CNN program with Kathleen Parker, I thought: He must have very thick skin. Yes, he must have but I watched the program and couldn't help but being hit by his brilliance. Clarity, courage, directness. I couldn't wait to see "Client 9" Now, 24 hours later I feel a sense of loss. Spitzer could have been a great American president. The kind of leader that the world needs. One who won't shy away from confront corruption from any side of the aisle. What a terrible pit for all of us that a man like that could fall in such a common trap. His enemies, which by the way, they all look as if from the cast of The Sopranos used what HE gave them to destroy him. Damn shame! Sex, sex, sex. How many great men have fallen in the trap of their own needs. The documentary does a great job in allowing us to go into Spizer's personal and public jungle and come out with enormous amounts of food for thought. Sad, frustrating and very, very good

As it's become so common with most political figures it's one scandal after another. You name it bribes, payoffs, abuse of power and corruption. But most of all the sex scandal is what the public loves. As in this case the sex scandal brought down a hard working and likable politician New York governor Eliot Spizer. Director Alex Gibney paints the film as two sides as the interviews revealing from staff members, political rivals, and even Spitzer himself prove he had affairs with hookers that being New York's elite escorts and call girls.

Aside from that it begins with Eliot's days as attorney general in the Empire state when he took on the big boys of wall street and dirty investment companies who were defrauding millions. Eliot was the new political golden boy who seemed to do right and fight for the common man! This would later propel him to be elected New York governor only along the way he made many business world and political grudges in the New York statehouse which would later bite him as investigations were launched.

Spitzer like all political pricks in my opinion felt he was above the law and as is so common gives into the oldest vice around sex with a hooker. Really no big deal yet Eliot showed he was a hypocrite as he once prosecuted the big time New York city call girl rings now he's a John! Still it's not the worst thing as Spitzer will still be remembered for some good by taking on the corrupt companies of wall street.

Gibney's doc is refreshing, informative, and revealing it shows the political and business world is so intersected with scandals of sex and greed with political pricks from both sides. Still Spitzer will be remembered yet his story is a tragic and Gothic one a real rise and fall of a good leader. As the vices of sex, money, and power abuse will always dominate society especially the political world it's just too bad that a hard working politician like Eliot Spitzer got to be the showcase for a dramatic fall. Clearly this is one social and political doc that's not to be missed.