Search - Rogue Trader on DVD

Feel the stress of a rogue trader

wallstreetjc | New York, NY | 03/10/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a previous employee of an investment bank, I found this movie rich with a realistic flavor of how stressful working in a fast paced trading environment can be. With recent headlines about day trading and stock market wealth, you'll find this production a fun topic of conversation as you watch Leeson (Ewan McGregor) risk the bank's capital speculating in Japanese stock index futures on an open out cry trading floor in Singapore. Based on a true story, some might remember reading about the failure of Barings, a major U.K. investment bank, yet McGregor's portrayal still makes you wonder what he will do next."

Brilliant performance (McGregor)... Incredible Stupidity

John K. Reed | Harrisburg, PA United States | 03/23/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"on the part of the upper management at Barings. I never cease to be amazed at how unstructured and ineffective many of our most supposed business leaders are. To me that was the best part of the story. How procedure and process is overlooked as long as the 'profits' keep rolling in and the incredible sense of arrogance and invincibility of the elite and powerful. Trades not verified, faxes accepted at face value, funds transferred out of fear rather than sound judgement.And I found the film rather uncomfortable to watch. A true credit to McGregor's performance. It's almost like I could feel the weight of the incredible strain that he was under. Yet he (Nick Leeson) was also naive and arrogant enough to believe that he alone could move the market.Although I don't know how true to the facts this film was I certainly felt like the events and atmosphere were honestly and objectively presented.Unfortunately a film like this, as outstanding as it was, is not a film that I could see myself viewing over and over again. So definitely of 5 star quality but not necessarily a purchase."

EWAN MCGREGOR MAKES THE FILM!

EriKa | Iceland | 09/24/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Any movie with Ewan McGregor has deserves some credit. He is such a talented and versatile actor that his presence lends almost any movie some credibility (except maybe the horrendous Eye of the Beholder). This film tells the true story of an English stock trader put in charge of handling his bank's positions in Asian markets from Singapore. To all outward appearances, the guy has it all-he is young, successful, newly married, and is seen as the most promising young talent in his bank's organisation. However, due to a string of unfortunate choices and mistakes, he is concealing some financial problems he thinks he can fix with just a few good days in the market. However, the Asian financial crisis dashed all his hopes and his bank went under. He was imprisoned in the mid 1990s. McGregor gives an outstanding performance here, giving a tense narration of the course of events that lead to his character's inevitable downfall."

Excellent Story

flickjunkie | 07/01/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This film must have gone direct to video in the US because I don't remember seeing a listing for it in theaters. This is a true story of Nick Leeson which it seems is somewhat controversial in Europe, especially in Great Britain. It is always difficult to depict a story from the headlines without controversy, because so many people have already formed opinions about the events from media accounts. This film was taken from Leeson's book, and therefore it depicts him favorably as not such a rogue after all. I'm certain that based upon the emotional reaction to the Barings Bank fiasco, this must have outraged a lot of people.Here in the states, this news apparently was not quite as sensational as in Europe. Honestly, I must admit that when I was watching this movie, it took me a while to make the connection. I remembered Barings, but not Leeson's name. I had no recollection what happened to him. Since I only knew part of the ending, that made the movie more enjoyable. I suspect this might be the case with a lot American viewers.This was a terrific film. Ewan McGregor was fabulous as the rogue. You like him right away, with his wide eyed ambition and determination and his blue collar work ethic. He brought great energy to the part and handled the broad range of emotions of his character with great skill.The story was electrifying and (if you weren't already familiar with every detail) sucked you in with the anticipation of what he would try next to extricate himself. Of course, the story was told from Leeson's perspective and it made him very human, almost romantic and a victim of circumstance. I'm sure this was overly kind to him, but from the standpoint of enjoyment of the film, it worked well. Dearden's direction was well done, especially the madness of the trading floor.My only criticism of this film was the audio. I found it very uneven with a lot of dropped dialogue that faded into inaudible mumbles. All in all, I gave this film a 9. It may not have been totally accurate as history, but it was great entertainment"