Rogue Trader (film)

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Rogue Trader
Video-release poster
Directed by	James Dearden
Produced by	Janette Day James Dearden Paul Raphael
Written by	James Dearden Nick Leeson (autobiography) Edward Whitley
Starring	Ewan McGregor Anna Friel
Music by	Richard Hartley
Cinematography	Jean-François Robin
Editing by	Catherine Creed
Distributed by	Pathé (UK) Cinemax (USA)
Release date(s)	June 25, 1999 (UK, USA) November 25, 1999 (Australia)
Running time	101 mins
Country	UK
Language	English
Budget	$12,800,000 (estimated)
Gross revenue	£969,565 (UK sub-total)
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Rogue Trader is a 1999 drama film directed by James Dearden about Nick Leeson and the 1995 collapse of Barings Bank. Based on Leeson's book of the same name it stars Ewan McGregor and Anna Friel.

[edit] Plot

Rogue Trader tells the true story of Nick Leeson an employee of Barings Bank who after a successful spell working for the firm's office in Indonesia is sent to Singapore as General Manager of the Trading Floor on the SIMEX exchange. The movie follows Leeson's rise as he soon becomes one of Barings key traders, however everything isn't as it appears as through the 88888 error account, Nick is hiding huge losses as he gambles away Baring's money with little more than the bat of an eyelid from the powers that be back in London.

Eventually the losses mount up to well over £800 million and Nick along with his wife Lisa decide to leave Singapore and escape to Indonesia. Nick doesn't realise the severity of his losses until he reads in the newspaper that Barings has gone bankrupt. They then decide to return to London but Nick is arrested en route in Frankfurt. Nick is extradited to Singapore where he was condemed to 6 and a half years in jail (but stays in jail for 4 years, because he was diagnosed with colon cancer). The film is based on Leeson's real life book, Rogue Trader.