Review: “Client-9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer”

Documentarian Alex Gibney's "Client-9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer" is a fascinating look into one of the most public character assassinations in American political history.

The mystery at the core of "Client-9" is who exactly took Spitzer down and how did they do it. Unfortunately, Gibney fails to make clear his intent until about half-way through his film. The result is that what feels like a poorly written episode of "Law & Order," a meandering mess rather than an examination of suspects. This is especially odd because in "Cheaters" -- his segment of "Freakonomics" -- he does a masterful job of building a mystery.

Among the characters assembled by Gibney are former AIG CEO Hank Greenberg, whom Spitzer implicated in a half-billion dollar fraud; Kenneth Langone, whom Spitzer went after for the massive severance that was awarded to former NYSE head Dick Grasso; former New York State Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno, who was targeted by Spitzer for his alleged use of state-owned helicopters for the purposes of fundraising; and the notorious Roger Stone, a political fixer whose legacy goes back to Nixon, the man whose face adorns Stone back in the form of a tattoo.

Gibney gets each of these men to talk very candidly about Spitzer and how much they dislike the man and were delighted by his downfall. It's juicy stuff.

In a year when films like "Exit Through the Gift Shop," "I'm Still Here" and "Catfish" have pushed the boundaries of the documentary genre, Gibney takes a liberty that frankly is a misstep. At one point we are introduced to a beautiful young woman talking about the realities and myths of the escort industry, but it's not until later in the film that Gibney reveals she is in fact an actress hired to recreate an interview with Spitzer's actual go-to call girl (not Ashley Dupree, contrary to common misconception). It would've been fine if he'd explained her identity up front; instead it merely arouses suspicion.

The film suffers from some partisan disingenuousness, as Gibney basically lets Spitzer off the hook, letting him duck some of the more pointed questions about his predilections. And Gibney comes off as naive in accusing Ashley Dupree of trying to capitalize on her new-found fame.

"Client-9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer" has it all: the escorts, the black socks, friends, enemies, crime fighters, (literally) unbelievable coincidences... as Spitzer himself says, it's "not a new story," but it sure is a good one.

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