Review: Arbitrage (2012)
Cast: Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, Brit Marling
Director: Nicholas Jarecki
Country: USA
Genre: Drama | Thriller
Official Trailer: Here
Editor’s Notes: For an additional perspective on Arbitrage, check out Mel Valentin’s review.
It is an unwritten law of cinema that if you’re a successful businessman you are most likely a corrupt millionaire who swindles people out of their money, plays around with the company’s financial records, and carries out numerous extra-marital affairs without even blinking an eye. Take, for example, Robert Miller, brilliantly played by Richard Gere in Nicholas Jarecki’s financial thriller, Arbitrage.
Miller, a well-respected sixty-year-old millionaire and father of two children, plans to sell his thriving business to the highest bidder. With the transaction in its final stages, Robert keeps his fingers crossed that nobody will discover $400 million missing from his company’s books.
Richard Gere is cast perfectly as Miller. Not only does he look the part of the suave, corrupt businessman who has aged gracefully, but he also holds a commanding presence and delivers a performance that carries the movie despite its shortcomings.
When he’s not running around making sure the deal is going according to plan, he’s busy with his mistress, Julie (Laetitia Casta), an artist trying to make her big splash in the world of painting. Things start to turn sour for Robert when a late night road trip with Julie ends in her death. He flees the scene and returns home. The negative press would destroy his hopes of selling his company. Much to his dismay, he becomes the main suspect in the crash.
As both writer and director, Jarecki takes his time to tell his story — sometimes painfully so. When his story does get rolling, it turns into a suspenseful game of cat and mouse as we watch Robert attempt to get away with fraud and involuntary manslaughter. Richard Gere is cast perfectly as Miller. Not only does he look the part of the suave, corrupt businessman who has aged gracefully, but he also holds a commanding presence and delivers a performance that carries the movie despite its shortcomings.
With the exception of a Laetitia Casta cringe-inducing line deliveries, the supporting performances in the film are just as solid as Richard Gere’s. Brit Marling shines in her role as Miller’s daughter and CFO. Quickly becoming a powerful screen presence with films like Another Earth and Sound of My Voice, Marling is a joy to watch as she brings a healthy dose of emotional weight to the story. Susan Sarandon is excellent in her inexplicably short role as Miller’s wife, doing quite well with what little she is given. Though her scenes are limited, she truly gets a chance to shine in the film’s closing moments.
Tim Roth is pitch-perfect as Detective Michael Bryer, who will stop at nothing to make sure he uncovers the truth about Miller. His obsessive dedication to exposing Miller is quite compelling as we watch him turn to ethically unsound practices to catch his man. In many ways, Miller and Bryer are alike. Though they come from different backgrounds, both would agree that the end justifies the means. Miller is willing to cook his books to help his company; Bryer sees no problem falsifying evidence if it gets him his conviction. The similarities between the two characters are compelling.
While he effectively showed us the lengths that Miller will go to get his way, Jarecki fails to address the cost these actions have on those close to him.
While he effectively showed us the lengths that Miller will go to get his way, Jarecki fails to address the cost these actions have on those close to him. One of the movie’s best scenes involves Miller being confronted by his daughter after she discovers his financial discrepancies. The image she held of her father for so many years has been shattered, and her future, consequently, is in jeopardy. What will she do next? Will she continue in this business? Will she try to right her father’s wrongs? Will she expose him? There are too many questions remaining about her character to just ignore them. Marling carries a hefty amount of the movie’s emotional weight, but Jarecki abandons her character’s arc in favor of a rushed ending.
Despite its sometimes glaring shortcomings, Arbitrage succeeds in keeping its audience entertained. It is a well-acted drama that features one of Richard Gere’s best performances. Most notably, it showcases the work of a master in the making. Nicholas Jarecki shows great promise as a powerful storyteller, and I look forward to seeing him hone that skill over time.
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