An in-depth look at the rise and fall of New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, including interviews with the scandalized, former politician.This is just about the greatest political documentary ever made. Rarely do I give a film more than a 7, but this is pure 10 all the way. Not just covering the sex scandal, this film gives a broader look at Spitzer's career, even touching on his childhood and upbringing. There is plenty on Wall Street, and we get to learn a bit about the call girl industry.Should Spitzer have been taken down? Of course. Having an affair may be excusable, but engaging in a relationship with a prostitute is a crime, and we need to hold attorneys and politicians in higher standing than that. But just because he made this mistake, it should not subtract from the good things he did to help clean up corruption.

Elliot Spitzer looks dead pan into the camera and says that 'God gives all the power to the men he chooses to destroy'. If you believe in God then by now you know that he is white, rich, a WASP and more than likely a Republican. Because the lengths Spitzers enemies all rich, white, powerful republicans went to destroy Elliot is not humanly possible. The vile and contempt they have for him is only matched by the anger they unleashed on Bill Clinton. While countless Republicans are caught cheating with prostitutes, women, men, interns they seem to walk away with far less damage than there Democratic counterparts. And the simple reason is that Republicans have mastered the art of making morality an issue for Democratic leaders when they barely have any of their own. And the reason for that is the American public. We are such gullible fools that we are willing to crucify Spitzer for his sexual transgression while the rich powerful Republicans plunder, loot and rape our banks and our whole financial system. But we average Americans are so stupid and ignorant that we are more concerned where Spitzers dick has been instead of all his actions of bringing all these wall street crooks to justice. Long before AIG failed Spitzer warned and prosecuted AIG for cooking books. The CEO Greenberg resigned when much like Kenneth Lay of Enron claimed that he had no idea what was going on in his company. He then said to Charlie Rose that his stock was worthless and now only valued at 100 million. These people will never care about the common man. And they will bury any man who takes up the cause of the common man. SPITZER IS TODAY"S ROBINHOOD. So what if he is an outlaw because he banged prostitutes. Let his wife Judge him for that, not some vile greedy rich white men who think they are gods.

Thanks to Netflix, I happened to see three of Gibney's documentaries in quick succession (Enron, Casino Jack, and Client 9) and of these I believe Client 9 is the most polished and best executed.Although it doesn't deal with anything nearly as weighty or historical, watching this reminded me of the excellent 2003 documentary on Robert McNamara by Errol Morris (The Fog of War). The director here uses a similar style, returning continually to interview the title character by interjecting quiet off-camera remarks.While the agenda was not as "in your face" as say, a Michael Moore documentary with its prodding use of juxtaposition, the film clearly has a left-leaning and pro-Spitzer point of view. But even so, it's an entertaining and engaging story.

They say life is stranger than fiction, and no place is that more evident than in New York City, the greed capital of the World.New York City, as one who has just left after 14 years may be a great place to visit, but you would never want to live there. For those who walked out of "The Matrix", when it was cutting edge and told a story of a world where people lived in a fiction, and couldn't distinguish reality, it seemed a mere conceit, a great means of storytelling. For those of us who have never lost our objectivity, which means we came to NYC with minds open, impervious to the assault on logic and normality that makes this city the real life Matrix, this Morality tale in which a well-intentioned and flawed man is run out of town by the bankers and the money marketeers, is business as usual.And make no mistake about that that. New York City is a corporate state and corporate town. It is Corporate Central, and if you think the people that wreaked havoc with the average American with AIG , which is New York based, and the home of greed and financial control by CORPORATISTS, will shuffle off gently into that good night, then you don't understand corporate politics.It is difficult to look at a calendar and note it is 2010, not 1692. You would think the sexual peccadilloes of a government official, compared to lying to the public, or initiating a war to benefit the Corporate elite, would pale in comparison, but this movie makes it clear that Wall Street , the true power of this Country, will not be muted or restrained or bullied by any person with the integrity to conduct that fight. Eliot Spitzer isn't Michael Moore, but he did crack down on those who were extracting money from the middle class, and tried to stop the power elite.For the most part I think Spitzer was 80% candid, which is more than enough to understand him in complete context. More clear were his adversaries, and the political gain they would receive by removing this pesky governor who was raining on the usual business as usual Wall Street Way.Unless you are some sort of theological hypocrite, this movie frames clearly the singular unimportance of and sexcapades that have existed in politics as far back as Washington, documented with Lincoln, and certainly contemporaries in FDR, JFK, and Clinton. I don't care what my elected officials do in the bedroom, and think the hypocrisy of the rabid right is on full display here, with their almost laughable preoccupation with legislating morality, all the while being the true authors of wars, pain, and misery, and looking to take down anyone or thing which threatens their domination and control. In that sense, this movie is a cautionary, once again, in which an inspired documentary maker tries to get the public to look beyond the facts as Fox would report it, and THINK about the MOTIVES of the people who were so intent on bringing this person down.Why is this important? People need to regain their equilibrium and see the reality hiding in plain site. Wake up before you're just like the New Yorkers who see no problem with paying $2800 for a one bedroom apartment, on a street with no trees, $3.50 for a thimble of orange juice, and believe it is normal. I think having lived there, and come back from Oz, this story is a sad one, not only because it shows the strength of corporate power, but the idiocy of a manipulated and malleable people, who are but lambs and sheep to be led to slaughter.Wake up everyone, especially New Yorkers.