In the UK many may quip "who is Elliot Spitzer?", and perhaps rightly so, as for a man who became notorious nationwide in the US, his fame didn’t quite stretch to this side of the Atlantic. Perhaps to us it was just another corrupt American politician, a series in a long depressing line. But to Americans, New Yorkers in particular, it was the equivalent of finding out that Rolf Harris is into make snuff movies. Well, not quite. But its impact was huge. Spitzer, a Democrat, was the governor of New York from 2007, previously serving as New York State Attorney General. He was loathed by Republicans and anyone on the right, not simply for being a Democrat but because he challenged their greatest assets and concerns - their wallets.
Since Larry Saunders and co. petitioned and succeeded in outlawing the regulation derivatives, it essentially opened up Wall Street as one giant playground for the big wigs, people got very rich very quickly with other people's money and lives as their collateral. Spitzer challenged Wall Street directly and vowed to eradicate the behaviours that had now become commonplace. In the wake of the economic collapse, we know now how revolutionary this would have been. Spitzer succumbed to another vice though - sex. Client 9 is the name of the prostitute from the high class escort agency that Spitzer used. Inevitably, and with a little help from some eager enemies, this all became public and saw the fall of somebody who had risen so high, so quickly.
The film, directed by academy award winning director Alex Gibney (Enron, Gonzo, Taxi to the Dark Side), is set via a series of interviews conducted with Spitzer himself, who, although speaking indirectly about his actions and the times surrounding them, is still remarkably hesitant to address the situation directly throughout the film. Many people on the right speak with great glee about Spitzer and his demise, some are so angry with him they almost foam at the mouth when discussing him. Spitzer made a huge number of enemies, because while he had a vey focused determination to do what he considered right, he did so with a sinister sense of antagonism, even treating his own staff like his worst enemies.
The film is a perfect balance between fact and insight, the scope of interviewees making it a composed documentary that leans to no particular side. It succeeds in delving into the personal and the political, and essentially provides a look into the human psyche and its relationship with power, money and drugs. The film often acts as a What If tale, since Spitzer perhaps could have torn down the forces that caused the catastrophic economic meltdown and ruined so many lives. Or perhaps the damage was well and truly done and he may have only been able to offer damage limitation. The point being, we’ll never know. With many of the people who caused these problems still employed by the White House, it could be some time before we see another Elliot Spitzer in action. In the mean time, this fascinating but ultimately depressing documentary will give you plenty of insight into a world of Maybes and What Ifs…