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Arbitrage2012 | 107 min | R | 1.85:1
Unlike many other adult dramas, “Arbitrage” doesn’t feature a single sympathetic character. It’s a slightly incomplete story of privileged people using their influence to further fraud and dodge manslaughter, manipulating those beneath them. It’s a compelling tale of reptilian behavior and escalating legal woes, best appreciated for a few fine performances and writer/director Nicholas Jarecki’s attention to merciless acts of business world survival, embodied heroically in star Richard Gere’s bravely unlikeable work. Although it never ties together as securely as it should, “Arbitrage” carries itself with a confident sense of gloom and panic, keeping the mysteries at hand persuasive despite storytelling that flames out instead of building ominously. 
A hedge fund magnate reaching his 60th birthday, Robert (Richard Gere) is attempting to patch the holes in his empire, with financial troubles plaguing a critical merger that could solve all his professional problems. Using fraud and fudged math, Robert has been able to keep his investment record clean, though daughter and subordinate Brooke (Brit Marling) is beginning to notice the cracks in the company as it moves toward salvation. Also consuming Robert’s life is an affair with fledgling French artist Julie (Laetitia Casta), a frustrated woman who can’t stand her lover’s inability to leave his wife, Ellen (Susan Sarandon). When Robert ends up killing Julie in a car accident, he flees the scene, trusting family associate Jimmy (Nate Parker, in a wonderful supporting turn) with the details. Investigated by Detective Bryer (a miscast Tim Roth), Robert’s cool demeanor is crushed when evidence mounts against him, also finding Jimmy under outside pressure to give in to dubious law enforcements demands. After making a splash with the James Toback documentary “The Outside,” Jarecki turns his attention to fictional complications for “Arbitrage.” It’s an ambitious picture with its depiction of ruthless business tactics and meltdowns, even employing an enigmatic title that contributes to the distance of the plot. Feeling the NYC mood, Jarecki pulls the viewer into Robert’s luxurious world of ornately decorated apartments, backseat limo meetings, and professional pride, watching his life’s work reach a climax with an upcoming merger, taking the pressure off for a moment before he’s on to the next fixation. With a socialite wife, a bright daughter (there’s a son too, but he’s merely tolerated), and a reputation for hard-nosed work, Robert is a fascinating character to build turmoil around. And this man certainly has his share with a drug-addict mistress and an enormous monetary gap in his company records that’s overdue for a plug. 
Jarecki is great with introductions, keeping the audience aware of Robert’s weaknesses and desires, while displaying his office intensity, painting a three-dimensional portrait of a man with limited scruples, with wealth and power blurring his vision. The thrust of “Arbitrage” comes from watching Robert attempt to weasel out of a situation that’s enormous, upsetting loved ones and enraging cops as he selfishly works to clear himself, caring little for the human life lost and the endangerment of the innocent. Jarecki goes for a slow-burn approach, using cocktail hour music cues and the comfort of family to bring comfort to a combustible story, showing skill in his ability to tighten the noose around Robert’s neck, pushing Gere to violent bursts of behavior -- the actor’s specialty. “Arbitrage” is many genres rolled into one effort, but it’s most interesting sticking to Robert’s inflated sense of importance and how his ego defines the troubles at hand. Despite the world falling apart around him, the character is only out to preserve his interests, wrecking any relationship that stands in his way. I doubt many will feel sympathy for Robert’s woes and the class discomfort they inspire, yet Jarecki maintains a gripping display of awful behavior, which Gere works diligently to complicate with his performance. 
“Arbitrage” works itself into a corner for the final act, relying on convenience instead of intelligence to illuminate a path toward a satisfying ending. The script also doesn’t make much room for Sarandon’s supporting role, which assumes larger importance in the climax, yet feels empty and anticlimactic due to her stranger status. Jarecki doesn’t know how to conclude his film as densely as it began, leaving “Arbitrage” winded at the very moment is should strike the hardest. Nevertheless, it’s a forceful depiction of venomous business practices and personal inventory with enough intensity to entertain, but rarely does it convince. Starring: Richard Gere, Tim Roth, Brit Marling, Susan Sarandon, William Friedkin, Laetitia Casta Director: Nicholas Jarecki » See full cast & crew |
 
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