''Arbitrage'' is a 2012 American
crime drama
Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...
film directed by
Nicholas Jarecki
Nicholas Jarecki (born June 25, 1979) is an American film director, producer, and writer best known for his 2012 feature film ''Arbitrage''.
Early life
Jarecki was born on June 25, 1979 in New York City, to Henry Jarecki and Marjorie Heidsieck. ...
and starring
Richard Gere
Richard Tiffany Gere ( ; born August 31, 1949) is an American actor. He began in films in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in '' Looking for Mr. Goodbar'' (1977) and a starring role in ''Days of Heaven'' (1978). He came to prominence with ...
,
Susan Sarandon
Susan Abigail Sarandon (; née Tomalin; born October 4, 1946) is an American actorMcCabe, Bruce"Susan Sarandon, the 'actor'" ''Boston Globe''. April 17, 1981. Retrieved January 21, 2021. and activist. She is the recipient of various accolades, ...
,
Tim Roth
Timothy Simon Roth (born 14 May 1961) is an English actor and producer. He began acting on films and television series in the 1980s. He was among a group of prominent British actors of the era, the "Brit Pack (actors), Brit Pack".
He made hi ...
and
Brit Marling
Brit Heyworth Marling (born August 7, 1982) is an American actress and screenwriter. She rose to prominence after starring in several films that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, including ''Sound of My Voice'' (2011), ''Another Earth'' ...
. Filming began in April 2011 in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. It opened in U.S. theaters in September 2012.
The plot follows the personal and professional troubles of a
hedge fund
A hedge fund is a pooled investment fund that trades in relatively liquid assets and is able to make extensive use of more complex trading, portfolio-construction, and risk management techniques in an attempt to improve performance, such as sho ...
manager as he approaches retirement.
Plot
New York City
hedge fund
A hedge fund is a pooled investment fund that trades in relatively liquid assets and is able to make extensive use of more complex trading, portfolio-construction, and risk management techniques in an attempt to improve performance, such as sho ...
magnate Robert Miller (
Richard Gere
Richard Tiffany Gere ( ; born August 31, 1949) is an American actor. He began in films in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in '' Looking for Mr. Goodbar'' (1977) and a starring role in ''Days of Heaven'' (1978). He came to prominence with ...
) manages a fund with his daughter Brooke (
Brit Marling
Brit Heyworth Marling (born August 7, 1982) is an American actress and screenwriter. She rose to prominence after starring in several films that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, including ''Sound of My Voice'' (2011), ''Another Earth'' ...
) and is about to sell it for a handsome profit. He is having an affair with a much younger woman, gallery owner Julie Cote (
), whom he has also helped financially. However, unbeknownst to Brooke and most of his other employees, Miller has
cooked his company's books and borrowed $412 million from an associate in order to cover an investment loss and avoid being arrested for fraud.
The potential buyer, James Mayfield (
Graydon Carter
Edward Graydon Carter, CM (born July 14, 1949) is a Canadian journalist who served as the editor of '' Vanity Fair'' from 1992 until 2017. He also co-founded, with Kurt Andersen and Tom Phillips, the satirical monthly magazine ''Spy'' in 1986. ...
), is stalling the process, and Miller's lender wants to call in the loan, but Miller says he needs the money to stay in his account until the audit for the sale is complete. They schedule a meeting at a restaurant during which contracts are to be signed, and it's the same night as Julie's gallery show, which Miller has promised to attend. Julie continually texts and calls Miller throughout the meeting, which drags on as they wait for Mayfield to arrive. When Mayfield doesn't show up, Miller leaves in disgust, but not before Brooke informs him that she has found some financial discrepancies in old ledgers.
Miller finally goes to Julie's opening, but she tells him to leave. He comes back and they fight, but he convinces her to go with him on a trip upstate. Miller dozes off at the wheel and crashes the car, resulting in Julie's death. An injured Miller almost calls 9-1-1, then realizes he must cover up his involvement. He flees the scene as the car bursts into flames. Miller calls Jimmy Grant (
Nate Parker
Nate Parker (born November 18, 1979) is an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter. He has appeared in ''Beyond the Lights'', ''Red Tails'', '' The Secret Life of Bees'', ''The Great Debaters'', ''Arbitrage'', ''Non-Stop'', ''Fe ...
), the son of his late chauffeur, who feels loyal to Miller for paying his father's medical bills. After Jimmy drives him home, Miller removes security camera DVDs that show his late arrival, burns his bloody clothing, then goes to bed bruised at 4:30 am, arousing wife Ellen's (
Susan Sarandon
Susan Abigail Sarandon (; née Tomalin; born October 4, 1946) is an American actorMcCabe, Bruce"Susan Sarandon, the 'actor'" ''Boston Globe''. April 17, 1981. Retrieved January 21, 2021. and activist. She is the recipient of various accolades, ...
) suspicion.
The next day, Miller discusses his "hypothetical" situation with his lawyer (
Stuart Margolin
Stuart Margolin (January 31, 1940 – December 12, 2022) was an American film, theater, and television actor and director who won two Emmy Awards for playing Evelyn "Angel" Martin on the 1970s television series ''The Rockford Files''. In 1973, h ...
), who advises the hypothetical person to turn himself in, as the lies required to keep the story a secret will pile up. The lawyer also mentions that Ellen has visited an estate lawyer. Miller is later questioned by police detective Bryer (
Tim Roth
Timothy Simon Roth (born 14 May 1961) is an English actor and producer. He began acting on films and television series in the 1980s. He was among a group of prominent British actors of the era, the "Brit Pack (actors), Brit Pack".
He made hi ...
), who is keen on arresting him for
manslaughter
Manslaughter is a common law legal term for homicide considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th cen ...
. Meanwhile, Brooke discovers Miller's fraud and, realizing that she could be implicated, confronts him. Miller admits to the fraud, but insists that he will handle it.
Jimmy is arrested and placed before a
grand jury
A grand jury is a jury—a group of citizens—empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may subpoena physical evidence or a pe ...
, but still refuses to admit to helping Miller cover up the accident. Miller once again contemplates turning himself in. Even though Jimmy is about to go to prison, Miller tells him that investors are depending on him and that waiting for the sale to close before coming forward would serve the greater good. Eventually, Miller gets himself and Jimmy out of trouble by proving that Bryer fabricated evidence.
With the audit complete and the company in the clear for the sale, Miller meets Mayfield and they agree on a price. Later, Ellen confronts Miller and offers him a deal: if he signs a
separation agreement that gives all voting rights and money to her non-profit foundation and their daughter, she will lie and say she was with him the night of the accident; if he refuses, she will tell the truth and he will go to prison. Meanwhile, Mayfield discusses a secondary audit that has been performed on Miller's company. The report does show a problem, but Mayfield chooses to ignore it and go forward with the sale.
In the final scene, Miller addresses a banquet honoring him, with Ellen at his side and Brooke introducing him. Tension among them is evident but nobody seems to notice. Smiling as he approaches the podium to deliver his speech, the screen cuts to black.
Cast
*
Richard Gere
Richard Tiffany Gere ( ; born August 31, 1949) is an American actor. He began in films in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in '' Looking for Mr. Goodbar'' (1977) and a starring role in ''Days of Heaven'' (1978). He came to prominence with ...
as Robert Miller
*
Susan Sarandon
Susan Abigail Sarandon (; née Tomalin; born October 4, 1946) is an American actorMcCabe, Bruce"Susan Sarandon, the 'actor'" ''Boston Globe''. April 17, 1981. Retrieved January 21, 2021. and activist. She is the recipient of various accolades, ...
as Ellen Miller
*
Tim Roth
Timothy Simon Roth (born 14 May 1961) is an English actor and producer. He began acting on films and television series in the 1980s. He was among a group of prominent British actors of the era, the "Brit Pack (actors), Brit Pack".
He made hi ...
as Det. Bryer
*
Brit Marling
Brit Heyworth Marling (born August 7, 1982) is an American actress and screenwriter. She rose to prominence after starring in several films that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, including ''Sound of My Voice'' (2011), ''Another Earth'' ...
as Brooke Miller
*
as Julie Cote
*
Nate Parker
Nate Parker (born November 18, 1979) is an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter. He has appeared in ''Beyond the Lights'', ''Red Tails'', '' The Secret Life of Bees'', ''The Great Debaters'', ''Arbitrage'', ''Non-Stop'', ''Fe ...
as Jimmy Grant
*
Stuart Margolin
Stuart Margolin (January 31, 1940 – December 12, 2022) was an American film, theater, and television actor and director who won two Emmy Awards for playing Evelyn "Angel" Martin on the 1970s television series ''The Rockford Files''. In 1973, h ...
as Syd Felder
*
Chris Eigeman
Christopher Eigeman (born March 1, 1965) is an American actor and film director.
Eigeman is best known for roles in films written and directed by Whit Stillman: '' Metropolitan'' (1990), ''Barcelona'' (1994), and ''The Last Days of Disco'' (199 ...
as Gavin Briar
*
Graydon Carter
Edward Graydon Carter, CM (born July 14, 1949) is a Canadian journalist who served as the editor of '' Vanity Fair'' from 1992 until 2017. He also co-founded, with Kurt Andersen and Tom Phillips, the satirical monthly magazine ''Spy'' in 1986. ...
as James Mayfield
*
Bruce Altman
Bruce Altman (born July 3, 1955) is an American film and television actor. He is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama.
Early life
Altman was born in The Bronx, New York. He is of Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish ...
as Chris Vogler
Reception
Box office
Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions paid $2.1 million to acquire the United States rights of this film, and they spent around $3 million promoting the film's theatrical and VOD release. The film went on grossing $7.9 million in the United States box office and $14 million in United States VOD sales.
, the film had grossed over $35,485,056 in the global box office.
The film also outperformed financially in several areas: it set a record as the highest-grossing "day-and-date" release of all time, meaning it outperformed all other films released simultaneously in theaters and "on-demand". It also opened to a per-screen average in the United States in excess of $10,000, making it one of the highest per-screen average films of the year. It was the top film in
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
two weeks running and no. 3 in
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
two weeks running, nearing a Spanish theatrical gross of US$5 million. It broke independent box office records in many other countries including
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, the
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
, and
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
.
Critical response
On
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, 87% of 173 critics gave the film a positive review, with an average rating of 7.10/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "''Arbitrage'' is both a tense thriller and a penetrating character study, elevated by the strength of a typically assured performance from Richard Gere." On
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, the film has a weighted average score of 73 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Accolades
Gere was nominated for the
Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama
The Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama is a Golden Globe Award that was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as a separate category in 1951. Previously, there was a single award for "Best Actor i ...
at the
70th Golden Globe Awards
The 70th Golden Globe Awards honoring the best in film and television of 2012, was broadcast live from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California on January 13, 2013, by NBC. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler co-hosted. Nominations were annou ...
for his performance in ''Arbitrage''.
References
External links
Official Site*
* {{Rotten Tomatoes, arbitrage, Arbitrage
2012 films
2012 crime drama films
2012 crime thriller films
2012 thriller drama films
Adultery in films
Films about the upper class
American business films
American crime drama films
American crime thriller films
American thriller drama films
Films scored by Cliff Martinez
Films set in New York City
Films shot in New York City
Lionsgate films
2010s English-language films
Films directed by Nicholas Jarecki
2010s American films