Synopsis: Read on IMDB

Should you watch this movie? Yes, indeed! It’s been a while since I watched such an interesting drama / thriller with a great cast and script. The story is captivating and will keep you wondering what the fate of the characters will be. I knew very little about this story before I watch, so this was certainly not one of those massive blockbusters Hollywood pushes on us. Or maybe we didn’t hear much of it because it already came in the US ages ago and we people in Belgium only get to check it out now.

Rober Miller appears to be a successful hedge fund magnate on the verge of selling his company to a major bank. He is also a devoted husband to his wife Ellen and has a wonderful relationship with his daughter Brooke, who seems to have been groomed to take the reigns of the business. Behind this beautiful facade, however; Robert has some seriously messy secrets. In reality he is desperately trying to sell the business to conceal some serious mismanagement and fraud. And the gorgeous family life is balanced with the affair he’s had for some time with a French art dealer called Julie. He then gets into a terrible car accident which threatens to expose all his dirty secrets and ruin the lives of his family and empire.

I didn’t hear much about this movie except one time I saw Susan Sarandon (who plays the wife, Ellen) talking about on a talk show. It’s a pity because it is really a very interesting movie. Richard Gere plays Robert Miller, the successful businessman on the verge of losing everything. I can never imagine this guy playing a hobo or some sort of weird hippie, free spirit kind of role (he’s tried and you can’t buy that role, really…). It’s almost like he was born in a baby-sized fitted Zegna suit and rather than cry upon exiting his mother’s womb, he put one hand in his pocket and put the other one in his chin to pose. Point for Gere for playing the hedge fund manager! Susan Sarandon doesn’t make appear as much as I would like; she is not only a superb actress, but so freaking gorgeous to look at!

Not only will the story captivate you but you always keep wondering whether Robert is going to lose it all… his family, his business, and his reputation. Can he get away with the web of lies he’s spun? And if so, at what cost? This movie is great in today’s business context. We are seeing more and more the greed and unscrupulous practices of the financial world and how they have affected out economy. We only see the faces of these big shots getting richer, but not knowing more about them. Here Robert is one of those guys, but all throughout you know he is a good guy who made some really poor choices in his life. Should he be punished when he is aware of and trying to fix those mistakes? Of course, you know the answer is “yes, he should” because being a good guy doesn’t mean flawless and he made his bed, now he should sleep in it. But he managed to get my sympathy at times. It’s the suit and dashing good looks, I know.

I really do recommend this movie because it is smart and it is compelling. I’d be interested to know what you think about the ending!

Paola’s mood after watching this movie: