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Based on the true story about Nick Leeson and his fraudulent actions which rocked not just the world of finance but in fact the whole world, Rogue Trader is indeed a very good film. It gives us a very good insight into how he managed to defraud the company as well as his motives, without ... Read review
1995. The Far-Eastern money market is still emerging, and the scene is set for one naive ... more
young Englishman to appear out of nowhere to bend the rules. Working from the Singapore office of the Queen's bankers, Nick Leeson (Ewan McGregor) would appear to ...
1995: the Far-Eastern money market is still emerging and the scene is set for one ... more
na'ƒ¯ve young Englishman to appear out of nowhere to bend the rules. Working from the Singapore office of the Queen's bankers Nick Leeson (McGregor) would appear ...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
When Nick Leeson was arrested in 1995 for bringing Barings Bank to its proverbial knees, ... more
it initially seemed as if he had single handedly crushed this most well-established and well-respected financial institution, and indeed it was he alone who found himself in a Singapore jail serving time for deceiving the auditors of Barings in a way "likely to cause harm to their reputation" and to cheating SIMEX (Singapore International Money Exchange). In Rogue Trader Leeson tells his own story with more than a hint of the bitterness--and, at times, suspended belief--of an ordinary Joe from Watford made scapegoat by a cast of characters who may not have been guilty by design, but certainly appear to be guilty of simply not adhering to the basic procedures which would have picked up any discrepancies long before any real damage was done. Hard to feel sorry for such wheeler- dealers, perhaps, and certainly hard to feel sorry for Leeson, but he manages to successfully tell an incredible story which moves at breakneck speed from his appointment as General Manager for Barings in Singapore to his fast and furious downfall, which began as a simple cover-up of a mistake by an inexperienced member of staff and ended in multi-million pound fraud, with earth-shattering repercussions across the financial markets of the world. Anyone who ever wondered how one man could do so much damage will find the explanation between the pages of Rogue Trader, but more than that they will also find a hugely compelling, tense and decidedly hair- raising story that defies imagination to the point where, if it had been written as fiction no one would ever believe it. --Susan Harrison
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Lucian Gerrit is a rogue trader - a starship captain granted ancient trading rights along ... more
the Eastern Fringe of Imperial space. But his family's fortunes have been steadily declining for many generations and his inheritance amounts to little more than a pile of debt and misery. In a final desperate gamble to restore his family's former glory Gerrit strikes a deal on a forgotten Imperial world to aid its commander in a long-standing war with his rival. As Gerrit commits his family's assets to the escalating conflict he may lose more than his livelihood!
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Production Year: 1980 - Drama - Director: Randal Kleiser - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Brooke Shields, Christopher Atkins, Leo McKern, William Daniels
Production Year: 2003 - Drama - Director: Michael Winterbottom - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Tim Robbins, Samantha Morton, Om Puri, Jeanne Balibar
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Advantages: Insight into the Barings Bank disaster Disadvantages: none
...in fact the whole world, Rogue Trader is indeed a very good film. It gives us a very good insight into how he managed to defraud the company as well as his motives, without having to over complicate the matter with masses of technical banking details. I'm sure, as with many films based on true facts, their has been a certain amount of poetic license used, but in doing so they have created a very informative film which is also very compelling viewing. ... ...Leeson gets found out, especially as he escapes being audited on a couple of occasions. If this had not been based on a true story, it would have done easily as well as a thriller, as at times you actually forget that this is a true story.
The lead character of Nick Leeson is played by Ewan McGregor (Moulin Rouge!). Having never seen the real Nick Leeson I can't comment if he looked like him or had his mannerisms. What I can say is ... more
Nick Leeson, an ambitious young man, is given the opportunity by his employers, Barings Bank, to go abroad to sort out a problem that everyone has rejected. He grasps the challenge with both hands as he doesn't just want to be just another bank clerk. Having done a successful job, Barings Bank offer him the chance to go to Singapore to set up their new trading operation. In an attempt to save money, Barings allows Nick to head up both the trading action on the floor as well as the back office facilities, as he struggles to train up his new unskilled staff. Everything seems to be going well as his first year in charge was a success, even though he had undertaken illegal trading practices to make up some huge losses. As the bank's new golden boy, Nick is allowed much more freedom and is so trusted that they allow his work to go unaudited. Unfortunately he starts making even bigger losses and has to start trading illegally again to try and get himself out of the mess. With the stress of work and a personal crisis, Nick starts to lose it big time and his work really suffers when he starts so much illegal trading that he could never possibly get out of the mess.
Based on the true story about Nick Leeson and his fraudulent actions which rocked not just the world of finance but in fact the whole world, Rogue Trader is indeed a very good film. It gives us a very good insight into how he managed to defraud the company as well as his motives, without having to over complicate the matter with masses of technical banking details. I'm sure, as with many films based on true facts, their has been a certain amount of poetic license used, but in doing so they have created a very informative film which is also very compelling viewing. You start to wonder how bad things will get before Leeson gets found out, especially as he escapes being audited on a couple of occasions. If this had not been based on a true story, it would have done easily as well as a thriller, as at times you actually forget that this is a true story.
The lead character of Nick Leeson is played by Ewan McGregor (Moulin Rouge!). Having never seen the real Nick Leeson I can't comment if he looked like him or had his mannerisms. What I can say is he gives a virtuoso performance as a man who buckles under the stress of the job and his personal circumstances. In a supporting role as Nick's wife Lisa is Anna Friel (The Land Girls, Brookside). Although she plays the part of the wife very convincingly, her character is in the film purely to give you depth and an understanding of the main role of Nick. There are numerous supporting cast in the film, all of which give adequate performances but the film is really based about one man and indeed focuses on him.
The film is directed by James Dearden (A Kiss Before Dying) and was based on Nick Leeson's autobiography as well as an account by a reporter. I feel that Dearden has done a good job of making an enjoyable film which could have become very boring if it had gone down the route of explaining all the technical aspects of the fraud. In reality I am sure their was many more factors which contributed to this story which have been left out of the film, but in doing so, Dearden has managed to keep the pace of the film moving as well as putting in a good sense of suspense. = The Cast =======Ewan McGregor .... Nick Leeson Anna Friel .... Lisa Leeson Tim McInnerny .... Tony Hawes Yves Beneyton .... Pierre Beaumarchais Betsy Brantley .... Brenda Granger Caroline Langrishe .... Ash Lewis Nigel Lindsay .... Ron Baker Irene Ng .... Bonnie Lee Lee Ross .... Danny Argyropoulos======= Technical Details =============Certificate: 15 Length: 101 mins======================= The Message & Christian View Point =============================This film clearly demonstrates how the greed for money can cause serious issues. It highlights how risk taking with money can cause serious distress and although this film is based round the high risks of stock trading, it does relate to every day life. With the number of people who find themselves in serious debt through gambling, we should all be concerned at not only the far too easily availability of credit but also with the imminent opening of Las Vegas style casinos around the country. Yes it is down to the individual to be responsible with money but surely we should look to educate our young people now before it is to late. ========== Conclusion & Rating ================For a film which is based on a true story, this film is very enjoyable and is a decent thriller in its own right. With a story based on the world of finance, this could have been too factual and boring; instead it is very riveting and keeps you hooked through out the duration. McGregor's performance is brilliant as he displays the desperation of a man out of his depth and basically carries this film on his shoulders. For anyone who remembers the Barings Bank disaster of 1995 this film gives a good insight into how it came about. This is not a film for everyone, but anyone who enjoys factual based film will enjoy this. For some reason Amazon are charging £12.99 for this film which is well over priced, but shopping around will find it at a much better price for just under £6.
Advantages: Hmmm Disadvantages: Wastes 2 hours of your life
...that from the first instant Rogue Trader had me hooked...because it didn't. The story of a bank collapsing is hardly the sort of thing to get this deranged mind of mine excited but it does beg the question why I bothered watching it. Actually now that I HAVE watched, I'M asking question why I bothered watching it.
Hot shot financial dealer Nick Leeson has it all - a beautiful wife, a penthouse apartment, a job with prospects, and more money than ... ...McClampett. Well mustn't it?
Rogue Trader as a film has promise and if the creators could get down to the 'truth' behind the Barings Bank fiasco then it would no doubt make a great film. Sadly it seems that we'll never know for one of two reasons 1) no-one knows the truth, and 2) the film's awful. There, I've said it. I now feel cleansed of my sins having cast aside the shroud of deception that I've been half heartedly draping over this op (sorry, ...
TheNeil 14.10.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Rogue Trader (DVD)
Advantages: Real-life drama, some effective trading scenes Disadvantages: Rather uninspired direction and dialogue at times, the end is already known beforehand, McGregor is merely okay when he could have been excellent, lingering doubts as to whether this is *really* how it all happened
...adaptation of Nick Leeson's book Rogue Trader - an autobiographical account of how his dealings on the high-risk Asian stockmarket brought down Britain's oldest bank - is a typical example of recent UK film-making. It's peppered with a style which came to the fore courtesy of Shallow Grave and Trainspotting, and driven by a slightly detached voice-over from the lead character. The presence of Ewan MacGregor (as Leeson) only compounds the similarities.
... ...have been five years ago, Rogue Trader is significantly better than so many other recent British films. Faint praise, perhaps, but the element of real-life fact and drama in the story gives it an upper hand over any slice of cobbled-together nonsense which passes for a plot these days.
It's all pretty straightforward, eschewing any gimmicky devices like flashbacks or - bar one admittedly effective scene - those dreaded *dream sequences*. Events ...
EnglishPatient 01.03.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Rogue Trader (DVD)
Advantages: Great acting, excellent plot Disadvantages: A little technical at times but doesn't really spoil the enjoyment much
Rogue Trader is a film-documentary depicting the rise and fall of a Mr Nick Leeson (played by the excellent Ewan McGregor), an investor for Barings Bank. For those who were living on the Moon in 1995, Barings Bank (of which the Queen was a customer) collapsed that year after Leeson abused his position of trust and gambled customer's money on the stock market. Leeson had it all, good job, money and was happily married but he wanted more but what transpired ... ...this film due to the fact I take an interest in the stock market. Of course, during the film many technical terms are used and at times I did have problems understanding what was going on but that did not detract from my enjoyment of the film as I got the gist of what was happening. You don't have to be a financial analyst to enjoy this film - the plot unfolds beautifully into a story of Leeson trying to recover his losses from gambling on the Asian ...
Manics 30.08.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Rogue Trader (DVD)
Advantages: Great story line, true life Disadvantages: Difficult to understand
...and Leftfield all feature in Rogue Trader. The acting is brilliant, Ewan and Anna really work hard and the outcome is amazing. Whether this is the "real" story or not we will never know, but it shows one amazing true story that you will never forget. Total running time is 97 minutes. Rating: 15 ...
TheBroomCupboard 04.09.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Rogue Trader (DVD)
Advantages: True Story, (almost) Disadvantages: Not film material
This is film is based on the events leading up to the collapse of Barings Bank, charting the rise and fall of trader Nick Leeson. It charts his rise up the ladder to being trading manager on the SIMEX for Barings. (Futures trading in Asia on the NIKEI.) Do not worry if you do not get all of this most of it is explained in the film.
As you probably know, Leeson's trading wiped out Barings as he tried to trade his way out of losses (he says) generated ... ...some options. The story is compelling, but to be honest does not make for a good film, Leeson is portrayed as someone who just let things get out of control. Were the real culprits Barings for failing to control the activities properly. (Leeson, basically had a free range as to what he did, with few checks and balances.) There were countless occasions when they should have realised what was happening, but did not or did not want to.
As a film the ...
KingHerrod 08.01.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Rogue Trader (DVD)
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Advantages: Utterly delightful film, terrific 80s soundtrack Disadvantages: No extras whatsoever, the £19.99 pricetag...where is the value?
of yourselves. Simultaneously issued on sell-through VHS last summer, the DVD has nothing of note in terms of extra features. At least the print is Widescreen...for RogueTrader, Fox couldn't even manage that. Quality-wise, the sound and picture are extremely good...the bright hues and lively ambience perfectly rendered.
The film itself is a real treat, but the lack of extras on a disc which sells for almost twice the RRP of its video equivalent is regrettable. ...
McGregor gives yet another strong performance in this riveting thriller telling the true story of Nick Leeson, the man who singlehandedly caused the dissolution of the British-based Barings Bank through insider trading as an employee of the bank in Singapore.
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PATHE DISTRIBUTION; 20TH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT
McGregor gives yet another strong performance in this riveting thriller telling the true story of Nick Leeson, the man who singlehandedly caused the dissolution of the British-based Barings Bank through insider trading as an employee of the bank in Singapore.
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