Rogue Trader

And I found the film rather uncomfortable to watch. A true credit to McGregor's performance. It's almost like I could feel the weight of the incredible strain that he was under. Yet he (Nick Leeson) was also naive and arrogant enough to believe that he alone could move the market.

Although I don't know how true to the facts this film was I certainly felt like the events and atmosphere were honestly and objectively presented.

Unfortunately a film like this, as outstanding as it was, is not a film that I could see myself viewing over and over again. So definitely of 5 star quality but not necessarily a purchase.


It gives some insight!   April 28, 2003
Super Trader
21 out of 23 found this review helpful

This movie is based on the book of the same title and the actual events that occurred to collapse the Barings Bank. I was most impressed by the pace and direction that the director took with this movie.

It had some high energy points, especially when you Ewan McGregor begins to literally lose it as the option selling losses mount. You also see his duplicitous nature in his personal life and his professional life. There is nothing stop the train wreck coming.

A couple of things I didn't like was the misaccurate representation of this being like the stockmarket. The Singapore International Monetary Exchange is a futures and spot market for currency exchange. There were more intense elements that could have been brought in. This is an international scandal where are the Singapore regulators etc. every antagonist needs a solid protagonist and there wasn't one.

I have been involved with futures and options trading for the past 11 years. I know how intense it is to watch the screen as money ticks away from you. This just wasn't easy to convey in the film

Overall it is good insight into a world few will ever know. I think Nick Leeson did a terrible thing, but I my overall verdict is I'm not sure if it deserves a movie. Maybe that's why Singapore banned it.


Excellent character study of Barings Bank Scandal   December 14, 1999
18 out of 20 found this review helpful

Ewan McGregor turned in a brilliant performance as Nick Leeson, the notorious stock broker who brought down Barings Bank. I thought this movie was fantastic. Ewan McGregor IS the entire movie - his acting is so convincing that I felt great sympathy for the character. The movie offers a very different perspective on the news scandal and I was surpised that I enojyed the film considering the subject matter. I liked this movie so much that I saw it 4 times. I plan to buy it on VHS once it becomes available to the masses.


Excellent Story   July 1, 2000
17 out of 18 found this review helpful

This film must have gone direct to video in the US because I don't remember seeing a listing for it in theaters. This is a true story of Nick Leeson which it seems is somewhat controversial in Europe, especially in Great Britain. It is always difficult to depict a story from the headlines without controversy, because so many people have already formed opinions about the events from media accounts. This film was taken from Leeson's book, and therefore it depicts him favorably as not such a rogue after all. I'm certain that based upon the emotional reaction to the Barings Bank fiasco, this must have outraged a lot of people.

Here in the states, this news apparently was not quite as sensational as in Europe. Honestly, I must admit that when I was watching this movie, it took me a while to make the connection. I remembered Barings, but not Leeson's name. I had no recollection what happened to him. Since I only knew part of the ending, that made the movie more enjoyable. I suspect this might be the case with a lot American viewers.

This was a terrific film. Ewan McGregor was fabulous as the rogue. You like him right away, with his wide eyed ambition and determination and his blue collar work ethic. He brought great energy to the part and handled the broad range of emotions of his character with great skill.

The story was electrifying and (if you weren't already familiar with every detail) sucked you in with the anticipation of what he would try next to extricate himself. Of course, the story was told from Leeson's perspective and it made him very human, almost romantic and a victim of circumstance. I'm sure this was overly kind to him, but from the standpoint of enjoyment of the film, it worked well. Dearden's direction was well done, especially the madness of the trading floor.

My only criticism of this film was the audio. I found it very uneven with a lot of dropped dialogue that faded into inaudible mumbles.

All in all, I gave this film a 9. It may not have been totally accurate as history, but it was great entertainment