The last Tuesday in January is filled with a number of titles that are quite good, but few releases that demand to be picked up promptly. And that’s okay, because it’s great to have breather weeks like this every now and then if you’re a rabid collector.
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Top Shelf
Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer(Magnolia) $20.99
The Movie: Documentaries about politicians may not sound all that appealing up front – they tend to come across as filmed book reports, for one – but when doing correctly, they can be captivating. Such is the case with Client-9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer. Not only does it convey an unbiased and easily digestible account of Spitzer’s political career, but it does so with a verve that makes even the driest material juicy. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Spitzer’s story is itself a tawdry one, but not all documentarians can pull off the balancing act between informing and entertaining. Director Alex Gibney (of the fantastic Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room) is thankfully one of those people.
The Features: A commentary track from Gibney; deleted interview footage.
Who Should Buy It: Those who appreciate a good, engaging documentary. If you liked Gibney’s The Smartest Guys in the Room, chances are you’ll like Client 9 as well.
