This is the astonishingly assured and mature debut feature of 25- year-old Nicholas Jarecki. At the other end of a career, it stars Richard Gere, who provides his best acting work since Chicago over a decade ago. Arbitrage has been out in the US for months; it's raking in money wherever it goes, and it's finally getting a chance to do the same here in the UK.
Gere plays Robert Miller, a man who's gathered too much money and too many responsibilities. After fleeing the scene of an accident, Miller finds himself hunted by detectives as he tries to push through a business deal to secure his family's future. Sub-plots and intrigue abound: Brooke (the luminous Brit Marling), Robert's daughter, is investigating the dubious company accounts; Ellen Miller (Susan Sarandon) is waiting patiently to make her move against her husband. And humble Jimmy Grant (Nate Parker) is stuck in the middle - or perhaps at the bottom - of it all, an accessory to the imperious immorality of the wealthy. "He's not like us," Robert says at one point, which is exactly why he trusts him.
In terms of style and tone, and as a soul-scouring character study, the film resembles recent fare like Michael Clayton and The Ides of March, albeit with a pinch more noir. One can imagine George Clooney as Miller, though it's doubtful he would do a better job than Gere, whose portrayal of monumental stress is nuanced and compelling. Miller is a rich man in need of an eye-opener like Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas) in David Fincher's The Game. Yes, there is a certain familiarity about Arbitrage, but it holds its own against those other fine films.
For those who like their thrillers talky and morally complex, and are content to empathise with their protagonist without necessarily sympathising with them, this is thought-provoking entertainment.
Gere plays Robert Miller, a man who's gathered too much money and too many responsibilities. After fleeing the scene of an accident, Miller finds himself hunted by detectives as he tries to push through a business deal to secure his family's future. Sub-plots and intrigue abound: Brooke (the luminous Brit Marling), Robert's daughter, is investigating the dubious company accounts; Ellen Miller (Susan Sarandon) is waiting patiently to make her move against her husband. And humble Jimmy Grant (Nate Parker) is stuck in the middle - or perhaps at the bottom - of it all, an accessory to the imperious immorality of the wealthy. "He's not like us," Robert says at one point, which is exactly why he trusts him.
In terms of style and tone, and as a soul-scouring character study, the film resembles recent fare like Michael Clayton and The Ides of March, albeit with a pinch more noir. One can imagine George Clooney as Miller, though it's doubtful he would do a better job than Gere, whose portrayal of monumental stress is nuanced and compelling. Miller is a rich man in need of an eye-opener like Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas) in David Fincher's The Game. Yes, there is a certain familiarity about Arbitrage, but it holds its own against those other fine films.
For those who like their thrillers talky and morally complex, and are content to empathise with their protagonist without necessarily sympathising with them, this is thought-provoking entertainment.