If like me, the S&L[1], insider trading, and Enron[2] scandals intrigue you, and you desire to see a dramatic and fairly factual treatment of what makes these things go bump in the night, then this is for you.
It is not hard to figure out why The Great Financial scandals are overlooked by Hollywood. The tales are not only apt to get so bogged down by confusion and spin, but the threat of lawsuit and small box office[3] means the double whammy effect is on, so of course would never get greenlighted.
As it stands, the makers of Rogue Trader give it the dramatic treatment it needs to please a high-finance numpty like myself, more interested in the drama of it all, and kept me interested to the end. It (thankfully) never bogged down in exposition, trying to explain the intricacy of it all. Deft.
Playing fast and loose doesn't excuse Nick Leeson from being the sole agent of doom for Barings, and his crime is not molly-coddled here. You understand what propelled him. You also might find yourself wondering if the checks and balances which failed to catch his back room shenanigans are are also lacking here, in the over regulated and under staffed U.S. commissions (Helllooooo SEC!). Talk about scary!
And to top it all, this film was in video stores long before Enron imploded.
To sum up, quite a nice thriller, and not a chainsaw or Münch-mask in sight. Recommended.
Dotacion
1. Neil Bush could find himself in the limelight 2. As well his more powerful brother 3. Rogue Trader was not released theatrically in the states, to the best of my knowledge.
It is not hard to figure out why The Great Financial scandals are overlooked by Hollywood. The tales are not only apt to get so bogged down by confusion and spin, but the threat of lawsuit and small box office[3] means the double whammy effect is on, so of course would never get greenlighted.
As it stands, the makers of Rogue Trader give it the dramatic treatment it needs to please a high-finance numpty like myself, more interested in the drama of it all, and kept me interested to the end. It (thankfully) never bogged down in exposition, trying to explain the intricacy of it all. Deft.
Playing fast and loose doesn't excuse Nick Leeson from being the sole agent of doom for Barings, and his crime is not molly-coddled here. You understand what propelled him. You also might find yourself wondering if the checks and balances which failed to catch his back room shenanigans are are also lacking here, in the over regulated and under staffed U.S. commissions (Helllooooo SEC!). Talk about scary!
And to top it all, this film was in video stores long before Enron imploded.
To sum up, quite a nice thriller, and not a chainsaw or Münch-mask in sight. Recommended.
Dotacion
1. Neil Bush could find himself in the limelight 2. As well his more powerful brother 3. Rogue Trader was not released theatrically in the states, to the best of my knowledge.