Jan Wahl Movie Review: 'Arbitrage' & 'Girl Model'

 
(KCBS) – KCBS Entertainment Editor Jan Wahl reviews "Arbitrage" starring Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon & Tim Roth. She also reviews the documentary "Girl Model."

KCBS Entertainment Reporter Jan Wahl:

 
ARBITRAGE (R)

It's a safe bet to say that most everyone knows the story of Bernie Madoff. Arbitrage (R), is an interesting suspense story, not quite as interesting or compelling as Madoff's, but tells the tale of a man whose life and heart are both ruined by money.

Richard Gere turns in a strong performance as a hedge fund mogul on the eve of his 60th birthday. He seems to have everything that makes up the American Dream. But, behind his gilded walls, he is over his head and hides his fraud - and worse.

Susan Sarandon plays his wife, and Tim Roth is the NYPD detective who starts to have his suspicions about what Gere's up to. We find ourselves wondering if Gere's character will make it out alive.

3 hats.

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GIRL MODEL (NR)

Documentaries can be disturbing, intelligent and show us a completely different world than our own. Girl Model (not yet rated) tells us the story of very young girls living in Siberia. As they line up hoping to be chosen, we understand they are looking for jobs in the international modeling world. We follow one 13 year old named Nadya who seems to be what the Japanese modeling market wants, at least according to the recruiters - who seem to have no trouble exploiting these girls.

Nadya goes to Japan, in part with hopes to support her family through her modeling work, and we see what a truly terrible system exists - feeding on young girls' hopes and dreams. It's wrong, and anything but picture perfect, but a strong documentary by David Redmon and Ashley Sabin.

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See Right Now: Farewell, My Queen; The Campaign; The Words; Hope Springs; The Bourne Legacy; Robot and Frank

Home Viewing/DVD: Bernie; The Hunger Games.

You can hear KCBS Entertainment Editor Jan Wahl's movie reviews on KCBS All News 740AM and 106.9FM Fridays at 8:53am & 4:53pm.

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