The Film
Richard Gere is one of those actors. He's had his share of crappy movies, such as Dr. T and the Women, Nights in Rodanthe and The Double. However, when he's hot, he's hot -- in every single sense of the word. He certainly oozes that hotness in Arbitrage.
Part of that draw is that Gere's Robert Miller is a very powerful guy. On the eve of his 60th birthday, he seems to have it all. He's got a loving wife (Susan Sarandon), a super-hot mistress (Laetitia Casta), and a company that's about to sell for a bundle. Of course, that doesn't make for a very exciting movie, so thankfully, Miller decides to push the limits by cooking the books and trying to cover up a fatal accident.
Arbitrage can be confusing at times and it certainly isn't the most original film. However, it's a good film nonetheless. It certainly helps that it has a stellar cast, which also includes Tim Roth, Brit Marling and Nate Parker.
Want to dissect this film a little further? Check out Mark Grady's theatrical review of Arbitrage.
The Picture
Arbitrage has a lot of good-looking people in it, but it isn't a great looking film overall. That said, the 1.78:1 image is more than servicable, with good colors throughout. The film just doesn't have a ton of detail, with the close-ups showing off some of the image's strongest moments.
The Sound
This release's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track fares a little better. The accident definitely packs the strongest punch in the surrounds. However, there are plenty of ambient effects throughout and the dialogue is always very clear. It's certainly not something that's demo-worthy, but this track has its share of audio surprises, especially given the film's low budget and limited release.
The Extras
Lionsgate goes for quality instead of quantity on Arbitrage's extras. There are a few interesting deleted scenes and two short featurettes. However, the gem of the lot is the audio commentary with writer/director Nicholas Jarecki -- who, at 16-years-old, served as a technical consultant on the 1995 film Hackers.
Final Thoughts
Arbitrage isn't the best movie of the Wall Street genre, but it certainly has one of the better casts. That really outshines any of the film's flaws -- not that there's too many of those. The video presentation isn't something that demands Blu-ray, but the rest of the set and the film itself make this one worth picking up.
Product Details
Where to Buy:
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Video | |
| Audio | |
| Movie | |
| Extras |
