Review of Arbitrage (2012) by Brett B — 31 Dec 2012

A fascinating and compelling character study with the trappings of a Hitchcock-style thriller, ARBITRAGE utilizes the backdrop of high finance to tell the story of one morally questionable (to be charitable) man.

I've never been what one could call a fan of Richard Gere, but I'll be damned if he didn't win me over with his performance here. It is by far the best work I've seen him do; he's charming and subtle, despicable and sympathetic, while still making the character feel fundamentally human and real.

What is most interesting about the performance (and the film as a whole) is that I found myself alternately rooting for Gere, then hoping he'd receive some sort of comeuppance, and then back again; it's a quite wonderful balancing act of audience manipulation that is pulled off by director Jarecki.

That Gere's backed by a fine supporting ensemble (led by Sarandon, who is on fire in this film, particularly in the third act) is icing on the cake. The film is moodily shot, and Cliff Martinez's atmospheric score compliments the imagery quite well.

If a mature, rich character piece - with a certifiably great central performance - sounds of interest, then this is definitely recommended.