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37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Feel the stress of a rogue trader, March 10, 2000
This review is from: Rogue Trader (DVD)
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.
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29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant performance (McGregor)... Incredible Stupidity, March 23, 2001
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.
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25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It gives some insight!, April 28, 2003
This review is from: Rogue Trader (DVD)
This movie is based on the book of the same title and the actual events that occurred to collapse the Barings Bank. I was most impressed by the pace and direction that the director took with this movie. It had some high energy points, especially when you Ewan McGregor begins to literally lose it as the option selling losses mount. You also see his duplicitous nature in his personal life and his professional life. There is nothing stop the train wreck coming. A couple of things I didn't like was the misaccurate representation of this being like the stockmarket. The Singapore International Monetary Exchange is a futures and spot market for currency exchange. There were more intense elements that could have been brought in. This is an international scandal where are the Singapore regulators etc. every antagonist needs a solid protagonist and there wasn't one. I have been involved with futures and options trading for the past 11 years. I know how intense it is to watch the screen as money ticks away from you. This just wasn't easy to convey in the film Overall it is good insight into a world few will ever know. I think Nick Leeson did a terrible thing, but I my overall verdict is I'm not sure if it deserves a movie. Maybe that's why Singapore banned it.
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