Coincidently part produced by Newmarket Capital Group LLC, USA and part Distributed by Capitol Films, France, amongst others; the flavour of the day is most certainly capital. While the show business entrepreneur and capitalist Sir David Frost, and executive producer to the movie Rogue Trader, was travelling back from Singapore, after interviewing Nick Leeson, while still in prison, he came up with an idea of capitalising on the theory of making a movie on the life of said prisoner.
The result, taken from the self-penned autobiography of Nick Leeson, how true and unbiased this is is only known by Leeson and his close associates. In what at first seems to be a straight to video / television movie, is somewhat different, this gritty, basic and though lacking in the big budget league, is very down to earth, this fine little movie works well.
Played by, then in his mid to late twenties, Ewan McGregor and only three years after his break through movie Trainspotting (1996), and shortly after Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) too, he, according to the journals of Leeson, is playing the eager and willing recipient of a chance of a life time. This tiny little mouse has been sent to Singapore, to correct and finalise the financial dealings, for Barings Bank, in the Asian sector, and while the cats are away, the mice will play.
The narrative, both visual and verbally chronicled, is of an optimistic and fruitful future, for both employer and employee, with McGregor playing the wide-eyed financial barrow boy cum playboy, who, rightly so, just wants to progress to the top of his career. Unfortunately, complacency is the victor here, the anticipation of failure is slowly built up, but not in a tedious fashion either, Leeson is seen here as the Mr. Nice Guy, but nice does not work in the world of cutthroat finance trading. The narrative, in a flick of a wrist, the turn of a deal, becomes pessimistic, daunting and high-octane adrenaline.
Sliding along with a soundtrack that gently pushes and squeezes the unforeseen catastrophe is the likes of Andy Williams "Can't Take My Eyes off You", Blurs "Song 2", Leftfields "Strom 3000" and with what appears to be Rogue Traders signature tune "Money (That's What I Want)" performed by Barrett Strong.
With its coarse language and respectable soundtrack Rogue Trader, a.k.a. the story of Nick Leeson and his down fall, is an education, or propaganda considering ones view point, of how the money market, and its individual stalls, deal with greed, ignorance and failure.
The result, taken from the self-penned autobiography of Nick Leeson, how true and unbiased this is is only known by Leeson and his close associates. In what at first seems to be a straight to video / television movie, is somewhat different, this gritty, basic and though lacking in the big budget league, is very down to earth, this fine little movie works well.
Played by, then in his mid to late twenties, Ewan McGregor and only three years after his break through movie Trainspotting (1996), and shortly after Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) too, he, according to the journals of Leeson, is playing the eager and willing recipient of a chance of a life time. This tiny little mouse has been sent to Singapore, to correct and finalise the financial dealings, for Barings Bank, in the Asian sector, and while the cats are away, the mice will play.
The narrative, both visual and verbally chronicled, is of an optimistic and fruitful future, for both employer and employee, with McGregor playing the wide-eyed financial barrow boy cum playboy, who, rightly so, just wants to progress to the top of his career. Unfortunately, complacency is the victor here, the anticipation of failure is slowly built up, but not in a tedious fashion either, Leeson is seen here as the Mr. Nice Guy, but nice does not work in the world of cutthroat finance trading. The narrative, in a flick of a wrist, the turn of a deal, becomes pessimistic, daunting and high-octane adrenaline.
Sliding along with a soundtrack that gently pushes and squeezes the unforeseen catastrophe is the likes of Andy Williams "Can't Take My Eyes off You", Blurs "Song 2", Leftfields "Strom 3000" and with what appears to be Rogue Traders signature tune "Money (That's What I Want)" performed by Barrett Strong.
With its coarse language and respectable soundtrack Rogue Trader, a.k.a. the story of Nick Leeson and his down fall, is an education, or propaganda considering ones view point, of how the money market, and its individual stalls, deal with greed, ignorance and failure.