TRADER GAMES/ KRACH

Belgium, France, Canada, 2010, 85 minutes, Colour.
Gilles Lellouche, Vahina Giocante, Michael Madsen, Lisa Ray, Charles Berling.
Directed by Fabrice Benestal.

Trader Games joins an interesting group of films about Wall Street and financial manipulation, including Wall Street itself and its sequel, Wall Street Never Sleeps. Other films include Margin Call, Boiler Room, To Big to Fail, The Wolf of Wall Street and the British film about Singapore, Rogue Trader.
Gilles Lelluche is intense as a European trader, full of confidence in himself, symbolised by his risks in hang gliding, who goes to Wall Street to make his fortune and his reputation. He discovers a model for changes in weather which correspond in graphs to changes in the stock market. He persuades the woman who discovered these changes to join him in predicting the rise and fall of the market.
He invests everything and the model fails, which takes the life of his companion in work, played by Charles Berling. He also persuades the assistant of his American rival, Lisa Ray, to come with him. For a while, he succeeds with getting financiers to invest in his hedge scheme. But, as might be expected, the model is unable to succeed and he finds himself faced with financial ruin.
The film is brief but effective in its picture of a man who becomes a megalomaniac and creates his own downfall. The background of Wall Streets, symbolized by Michael Madsen and the Americans and their super-confidence, is a reminder of the other Wall Street films.
1. Audience interest in films about finance? Wall Street and American finance? The financial crisis of 2008?
2. The opening with the hang gliding in Switzerland, the later hang gliding sequences? With Sybille? The Symbol of risk? For Erwan? Sybille depending on him?
3. The title, original and echoes of crash? The English translation and the emphasis on games?
4. Erwan’s story, brashness, confidence, risk-prone, going to Wall Street, relishing its life, its energy, the bidding, the selling, making money, lots of money? His personality, obsessed?
5. His discovery of Sybille and her model? Going to visit her? Her being taken aback? Her study of the weather? His manner with her, seductive? Her agreeing to develop the model? The visualizing of the model, the information given, testing it, evidence since 1929? The relationship between weather and the rise and fall of the stock market?
6. The Americans, the leader, with his football in his hand, urging his staff forward? Dislike of Erwan? Sacking him and Georges? His own staff, wary of Erwan, noting his success? Getting caught up himself, the collapse? His relationship with Sarah? Her presuming on her? Her leaving?
7. Georges, friendship with Erwan, the intense scenes of risking the money, the phone calls, the market not falling? Desperation, being sacked by William? George and his plan, his suicide? The effect on Erwan, on Sybille?
8. Erwan and his continued plans, launching a hedge fund, the discussions? His meeting with the banker, persuading him, the setting up of the company, the meeting with the bankers, answering the questions, plausible and confident? The decision to invest?
9. The development of the model, success? Tony and his staff? The rivalrywith William? Lisa and her being part of the group? Sybille and her working on the model, it’s becoming confused, not predicting correctly? Erwan and his refusing to be convinced?
10. The media and the focus on Erwan, interviews with him, his plausible explanations? The criticism of the American presidential official? Wanting complete free market, no restrictions? William and his staff applauding?
11. Sybille, her leaving Erwan, her desperation?
12. The bank manager and the telecommunication, his rebuke of Erwan, his desperate personal situation? Condemning him as a con man? The other investors?
13. Erwan, desperation, thinking he could succeed, hang gliding, out the window, his death?
14. A fable about greed, contemporary marketers and financiers? In relationship to the situation of 2008 and afterwards?