Where to start.... Okay firstly, unless you've been in hibernation the last few years you'll know the name Nick Leeson. The film follows Leeson through his days as a futures trader for Barings Bank (the oldest merchant bank in England) and his transfer to South-east Asia, through to the eventual collapse of said bank and Leeson's imprisonment.
I'm not quite sure why 'Rogue Trader' was even made, either it's pro-Leeson and sees him as a courageous boss protecting his incompetent employees (yeah, right!) or the film merely tries to explain this particular corner of history. On both counts 'Rogue Trader' is left severely lacking, although McGregor tries valiantly, portraying Leeson as anything other than a spoilt child would seem impossible.
The rest of the cast cannot however even be accused of trying to breath some life into this tepid affair. Friel appears disinterested (a feeling I felt all too often) as do Leeson's superiors.
As much as I would like to promote this film, with its distinctly English cast, I'm afraid it's a lost hope. If you want I imagine you could spend a few hours trying to find some hidden meaning that would make the whole experience worthwhile, but you probably won't and who could blame you.
Stay away unless you want your opinion of Ewan McGregor tainted and your view of Anna Friel confirmed!
I'm not quite sure why 'Rogue Trader' was even made, either it's pro-Leeson and sees him as a courageous boss protecting his incompetent employees (yeah, right!) or the film merely tries to explain this particular corner of history. On both counts 'Rogue Trader' is left severely lacking, although McGregor tries valiantly, portraying Leeson as anything other than a spoilt child would seem impossible.
The rest of the cast cannot however even be accused of trying to breath some life into this tepid affair. Friel appears disinterested (a feeling I felt all too often) as do Leeson's superiors.
As much as I would like to promote this film, with its distinctly English cast, I'm afraid it's a lost hope. If you want I imagine you could spend a few hours trying to find some hidden meaning that would make the whole experience worthwhile, but you probably won't and who could blame you.
Stay away unless you want your opinion of Ewan McGregor tainted and your view of Anna Friel confirmed!