Review of Arbitrage (2012) by Jens N — 01 Aug 2013

I thought this a very solid thriller. It's about a crooked fund manager trying to sell his business before his disastrous investments and consequent fraud come to light, balanced against his equally disastrous personal life (which includes running from the scene of a car crash that killed his mistress), all while being pursued by a dogged NYC detective who reminded me of Colombo.

That's not all I was reminded of, either: Bonfire of the Vanities kept coming to mind. The ending is appropriately cynical. Richard Gere is great in this role ... as with Tom Cruise, I at first regarded Gere as a pretty face leading man type, but over time realized what a good actor he actually is.

The movie is a bit slow and I don't think it did well in theaters, but for a good night's entertainment at home it's well worth renting.