ARBITRAGE

CAROLINE: Ha, totally. I think it was conceived as an original idea but there is many a parallel to the Madoff scandal.  And Richard Gere’s character’s job actually reminded me a little bit of his role in that movie Pretty Woman. You may have heard of it.

RYAN: Totally; he’s again a rich dude involved in fih’nance. This movie is such a suspenseful drama that my whole body was actually tensed up to the point where I felt physically ill during certain scenes.

CAROLINE: OMG I had the exact same reaction!  This movie totally stressed me out.  It’s really well made but the plot is so tense and worrisome that I felt like my stomach was in knots.

RYAN: There’s a quiet intensity to Richard’s performance where he’s calm but you can tell he’s boiling under the surface. He’s so good that I wouldn’t be surprised if he were nominated for this role.

CAROLINE: People are saying it’s his best role in years.  I will also add that he’s still pretty dashing. 

RYAN: Susan Sarandon’s looking pretty good too. However, she was given the arduous task of the worst product placement ever on film where she actually had to utter a line about Zappos.com.  I was appalled, and it made me want to shoop a doop.

CAROLINE: These things never bother me as they do you.  I also want to mention the girl who plays their daughter, Brit Marling; I thought she was really good in a complicated role.

RYAN: Totally, she reminded me of you; pretty, blond, smart, talented…

CAROLINE: Please continue.

RYAN: No, but really; I don’t remember seeing her in much before this and she certainly holds her own against Mr. Gere.

CAROLINE: Yeah, she’s pretty new to the scene and is also a writer/producer. 

RYAN: One of the biggest strengths of the film is its pacing. A drama always runs the risk of being slow and boring, but this one has a major event that occurs pretty early on and informs the rest of the film.  And the fallout from it unfolds brilliantly.  It all starts with a great script, doesn’t it? It almost reminded me of Fatal Attraction in terms of the tone.

CAROLINE: I can totally see that.  I just kept wondering throughout the film how Richard Gere’s character was going to get himself out of the mess he’d created.  It just seemed to be getting worse and worse, hence my being so stressed out.  Tim Roth also gives a great performance.

RYAN: It’s kind of a social commentary about the 1% and the power they wield, both in business and personally.

CAROLINE: I loved all the depictions of his crazy wealth and lifestyle; all the maids and staff, his chauffeured car, etc.  And look for a surprising cameo from Graydon Carter, the editor of Vanity Fair.

— BOTTOM LINE —

RYAN: My bottom line in any film is that I want to be entertained, and this kind of drama that not only engages you but also physically and emotionally involves you is one of the best examples of escapism at the movies.  It’s nice to forget about your own problems and think about someone else’s much worse ones for an hour and forty minutes.

CAROLINE: I agree, but it was so stressful at times.  Not that I wouldn’t recommend the movie, but it’s definitely very tense.  It’s an impressive debut film from Nicholas Jarecki.