The Clearstream Affair (2015)

Very well executed

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

"The Clearstream Affair" from 2014 is the true story of Denis Robert, played here by Gilles Lellouche, a journalist who persisted in his fight to prove the dishonest practices of the banking firm Clearstream. Since a lot of politicians and higher-ups are involved, he has a hard time of it, especially since witnesses are too afraid to come forward. But the more he finds out, the worse the scandal becomes, and he finds himself embroiled in dozens of lawsuits for libel.This is a real David v. Goliath story, and we don't see how it actually ended - that's told in the chirons at the end of the film.There was an emphasis on Robert's dealing with his family, which I could have done without - the actual story of the invisible bank accounts, the raven list, etc., and betrayal from the inside is interesting in its own right.I thought this could have been better, though it is a compelling story of corruption at the very top and how hard it is for someone attempting to get at the truth.

This is such an important movie, to understand how difficult it is to reveal dark finance. If you are not an insider, it's not that easy to understand how far some seemingly unimportant erased data by a computer administrator can lead to high security state affairs, elections, terrorism, assassinations.See no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil, these are the foundations of success in Luxembourg's Banking were Clearstream could develop strategies to hide names in transactions. As there is nothing wrong, there's no need for control mechanisms either. If you happen to know to much, if you get caught by remorse, you just get laid off, deprived of work, or even promoted.The important role of auditing companies to cover up, is not forgotten. Arthur Anderson audited Clearstream, permitting the luxemburger Prosecutor to close the case. One of their employees got dismissed, and Andersen was convicted of obstruction of justice for shredding documents related to its audit of Enron. No biased conclusions, please.The depiction of the Luxemburg's mentality, made of personal interest and cowardliness not to get involved, especially on the level of Justice, is excellent. So is the acting of luxemburger actors. Denis Robert, the french journalist, doesn't realize he's engaging a Don Quixotte fight. His sources get treated not as witness, but as accused. How true, how disillusioning. What's worse, his revelations get out of control and mislead to fool ongoing investigations.This is such an important movie, to understand why investigative journalism is dying, as their sources can't be protected. You better have no children and wife, if you intend to be a whistle-blower.Personally, I'd kept my mouth shut.

I speak French, but watched this with a friend who does not, and we both enjoyed it very much. It's suspenseful and the casting is excellent. Gilles Lelouche drives the movie as a determined and gutsy left-wing journalist who never seems to get nervous (as the viewer does when he meets his "sources" in shady locales). It was also fun to spot Charles Berling again in another good role after Ridicule. Laurent Capelluto is convincing and mysterious in his role as as a financier accused of fraud. In fact, all of the characters are memorable. The cinematography is also beautiful, with rarely seen shots of Luxembourg. Yes, this is based on a true story. Watch it!

This very accurate movie is a deep dive into the obscure, disgusting, rotten world of the international finance. Meaning corrupted high scale banks cleaning dirty money for the benefits of the world greatest companies. A world of sharks, where only the bad guys eventually always win in the end. A world where the good folks always finish washed out at the best or crushed, wiped out at the worst. The story of a lonely man, a journalist of investigation, who fights to show to the world how the highest french politicians were deep involved into illegal transactions in which billions of dollars were about. The desperate and lost in advance struggle for this man against an evil system. The one in which we live. Terrific and disgusting at the same time. Made me dizzy. We are all puppets in front all those bastards. From actual events, unfortunately.