The following article was written by Jens Chrzanowski, Member of the Management Board of Admiral Markets Group AS.
Hello,
Jens Chrzanowski, Admiral Markets
It’s summertime, and also a US holiday this week… So not too much going on in the markets, so today I’d like to write about something related to trading… Trading movies!
If you’re struggling with the heat, or stuck inside due to the untimely, yet inevitable, rainstorms, why not throw on a good financial thriller or stock market drama during your down time? The below list features some great choices that might even prove to be educational – you’re guaranteed to find them entertaining, at the very least. This list has been put together by my professional trading colleagues – Nenad Kerkez and Chris Svorcik.
1. The Corporation (2003)
A brilliant motion picture demonstrating the ascent of the corporation as a man. The movie is an in-depth psychological investigation of the legal concept of a corporation. The corporation can buy property, has legal ownership and rights. This gets you questioning. If the corporation is like a person, what is the mental status of that individual? Is that individual useful for society? It’s an absolute must see of a movie.
2. Wall Street (1987)
Another great thriller from Oliver Stone who, coincidentally, made the film as a tribute to his stockbroker father, Lou Stone. It’s interesting to know that even before the movie was filmed, Stone went to stock floors and dwelled on the subtle elements of brokers’ language and the innovation used. Wall Street is a trader’s cult classic, which revolves around a father-child relationship.
3. Trading Places (1983)
This may be the funniest Wall Street movie ever made. The storyline hilariously weaves from a drunken, deranged Santa Claus to a Cameroonian exchange student and then an unfortunate case of mistaken identity involving a gorilla outfit. Trading Places is a farce of the social commentary it’s trying to make. This film has definitely withstood the comedic test of time – so if you’re looking for laughs, you won’t be disappointed.
4. Margin Call (2011)
What happens when you over-leverage? This movie explains what might happen on the wider stock-market scale. In short, your account can go from ahead to dead in seconds when investment firms over-leverage and get a margin call. This film is almost a horror-movie because it exposes how delicate our financial system really is. It doesn’t shy away from exposing greed and its moral downfall either. Kevin Spacey brilliantly plays the role of Head Trader. No matter how experienced you are in trading, you need to watch this one.
5. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
This movie is my personal favourite. It’s based on the true story of the brilliant, yet depraved, financial expert Jordan Belfort who served 22 months in prison for fraud and money laundering. The storytelling is direct and very interesting from the very first moment. An epic movie, maxed-out to grand proportions. In my opinion, this has undoubtedly been DiCaprio’s best screen performance so far. I should also mention the Oscar nominee, Jonah Hill, whose performance was toe-to-toe with DiCaprio’s. Pay attention to a climactic sushi-eating scene which is one of the best in the movie.
That’s that. But if “Hollywood” really isn’t your thing, check out our YouTube channel, there you’ll find hundreds of educational videos about trading related topics – plenty to fill up your summer!
See you next week!
Do you have feedback, concerns, requests, maybe even compliments? I’d love to hear. Please contact me via: [email protected].
Trading on margin carries a high level of risk, and this article should not be seen as advice or solicitation to buy or sell. It’s written for informational purposes only.