Arbitrage - Solid, if not particularly original thriller

I wasn't expecting too much from `Abitrage,' but I was pleasantly surprised, based on the cast. If it wasn't for the performance of (mainly) Richard Gere, this would have been a very formulaic thriller. At some parts, it still feels a little like an extended TV episode.

As I said, Richard Gere carries this entire movie, playing a - partly - despicable character, who at the same time, we find we can root for. He doesn't make the right choices throughout the movie but that's what keeps his character interesting and helps to let the movie move along, even during its slower moments. It's the sort of thriller where everything starts to go from bad to worse for its main character, when his lies and actions only get him in more and deeper problems and drags those close to him down, along with him.

However, not all the characters are as good as Gere's - the story really under uses Susan Sarandon, who could had given the movie a whole other dimension and more depth. She does the best with what's given to her, but there could have been so much more for her to do. As is Tim Roth, who just plays a stereotypical New York detective. When he shows up you think he is going to play a big and important role for this movie but in fact there are large portions of the movie in which his character plays no role at all.

I still really enjoyed this thriller and at times was even loving it. It's definitely a better than average genre attempt, despite still having a very standard and familiar type of premise and story in it. So in essence, nothing surprising but it's all still very well made and acted out by its impressive cast, which already is worth the price alone.

7/10 if I woke up on Groundhog Day and had to watch this again, I could live with that