Rogue Trader



• Title: Rogue trader
• Duration: 98 min.
• Country: United Kingdom
• Director: James Dearden
• Script: James Dearden
• Year: 1999
• Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgqSVVLFmds
• Synopsis: Ambitious, wide-eyed boy Nick Leeson is determined to rise in the world and be more than a simple bank clerk. When his employers, Barings Bank, offer him the opportunity to go to Jakarta to sort out a problem that nobody else wants, he seizes the opportunity with both hands. In Jakarta he meets and marries Lisa and together they go to Singapore when the bank offers him the job of setting up their future options trading operation. To save money the bank allows Nick to operate both the floor trading and the back office facilities and force him to employ cheap, unskilled staff. His first year of trading is a big success and he makes large profits for the bank even though he has illegally broken trading rules and secretly covered up losses. Given more freedom, even more money and continuing unchecked, Nick starts to make losses and again attempts to trade out of them but this time he comes unstuck as his illegal trading generates even bigger losses. After the death of his unborn child Nick completely loses control and gambles without restraint with other people's money leading inevitably to a complete financial meltdown and the bankruptcy of the bank.

'Banking and Finance' in the film

The film starts with Nick's voice in off commenting that he works for a bank. Then he introduces us a little in the Indonesian economy and explains he is going to sell bonds there. Later on, Nick explains his financial work to his new mates and starts working in the Nikkei. A bank's CEO speech about the company policies is also rolling. All of this occurs in the first 20 minutes, and after that, the film develops its roll with the Nick’s methods. With losses and profits and what carries on.

Personal commentary

It shows perfectly the irrationality that often investors can incur due to the inherent human clumsiness (of the protagonist as well as his bosses and admirers).  It perfectly reflects the inefficiencies that may exist in a bank.