Arbitrage is a wonderful film. It is a slow paced, well written and very well acted piece of cinema. It looks like Gere is choosing his projects with better care. A supporting cast of Sarandon, Roth and others do their work. But it's Gere's show.
Gere plays one those people you read about in the paper. The ones who defraud their company, a pension fund or a bank for hundreds of millions. It's cases where everybody scratches their head: 'How is this possible? Right under everybody's nose?' For me, this film is about loyalty. If you ask me, 'these' people (the Madoff's and such) depend on others not to tell. They are charismatic, charming, sometimes do the right thing and make you believe by not blowing the whistle, you are actually saving other people. When in fact, they are the most egocentric, narcissistic personalities you will ever find.
I won't give away too much of the plot, but Gere's character is such turd in a suit: it's beautiful to see on screen. He keeps telling the people around him not to turn on him, because it's not him that gets hurt. It's other people's jobs, pensions etc. But it's just his own behind he's saving. Writer/director makes us root for him. 'Come on, get away with it' we think. You want him to win. When in fact, he's evil. But he sells it good. Like Gere sells his character. Like the Madoff's of this world sell us.
The thing that stayed with me was that one the main supporting characters comes off as naive when in fact he/she is just wanting what we all want: to tell the truth. But truth doesn't get you very far. That's what we learn from Gere's character. And almost - just almost - we believe him.
I give this film 8 out of 10.
Gere plays one those people you read about in the paper. The ones who defraud their company, a pension fund or a bank for hundreds of millions. It's cases where everybody scratches their head: 'How is this possible? Right under everybody's nose?' For me, this film is about loyalty. If you ask me, 'these' people (the Madoff's and such) depend on others not to tell. They are charismatic, charming, sometimes do the right thing and make you believe by not blowing the whistle, you are actually saving other people. When in fact, they are the most egocentric, narcissistic personalities you will ever find.
I won't give away too much of the plot, but Gere's character is such turd in a suit: it's beautiful to see on screen. He keeps telling the people around him not to turn on him, because it's not him that gets hurt. It's other people's jobs, pensions etc. But it's just his own behind he's saving. Writer/director makes us root for him. 'Come on, get away with it' we think. You want him to win. When in fact, he's evil. But he sells it good. Like Gere sells his character. Like the Madoff's of this world sell us.
The thing that stayed with me was that one the main supporting characters comes off as naive when in fact he/she is just wanting what we all want: to tell the truth. But truth doesn't get you very far. That's what we learn from Gere's character. And almost - just almost - we believe him.
I give this film 8 out of 10.