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The Wizard of Lies
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Wikipedia article
'The Wizard of Lies' is a 2017 American television biopic film directed by Barry Levinson and written by Sam Levinson, Sam Baum, and John Burnham Schwartz, based on the 2011 non-fiction book of the same name by Diana B. Henriques. The film stars Robert De Niro as businessman and fraudster Bernie Madoff, Michelle Pfeiffer as his wife Ruth Madoff, and Alessandro Nivola as their older son Mark Madoff. It aired on HBO on May 20, 2017.
Plot
Bernard Madoff founded his company on Wall Street in the early 1960s, which, over time, turned into one of the largest investment funds. Madoff had enjoyed a reputation as a successful and influential financier, broker, financial consultant, and generous philanthropist until 2008, when it became known that, over the past 16 years, his firm had run the largest Ponzi scheme in history. The resulting scandal lead to multibillion-dollar losses and the arrest of Madoff, who was later sentenced to 150 years in prison.
Lawyer Martin London, Mark Madoff's father-in-law, advises Bernie Madoff's sons to turn their father to the authorities.
Bernie Madoff admits to FBI agents that he'd been operating a Ponzi scheme since the 1970s. In 2000, Harry Markopolos testified before the US House that he believed the Madoff's company was a fraudulent Ponzi scheme because the company's gains never fluctuated up and down.
In 2005, Madoff doesn't want to give investigators his Depository Trust Company (DTC) account number. By the start of the 2008 Great Recession in the United States, numerous clients start pouring into Madoff's firm to withdraw the money.
Clawback suits are filed against Madoff's children.
Cast
* Robert De Niro as Bernard Madoff
* Michelle Pfeiffer as Ruth Madoff
* Alessandro Nivola as Mark Madoff
* Hank Azaria as Frank DiPascali
* Nathan Darrow as Andrew Madoff
* Sydney Gayle as Emily Madoff
* Lily Rabe as Catherine Hooper
* Kristen Connolly as Stephanie Madoff
* Kathrine Narducci as Eleanor Squillari
* Steve Coulter as Martin London
* Shivam Chopra as Male Student
* Michael Kostroff as Peter Madoff
* Clem Cheung as Denny Chin
* Diana B. Henriques as Herself
Production
On August 27, 2015 Michelle Pfeiffer and Alessandro Nivola joined the film to play wife Ruth Madoff and older son Mark Madoff, respectively. On September 9, 2015 Hank Azaria joined the film as Frank DiPascali. On September 10, 2015 Nathan Darrow, Kristen Connolly, Kathrine Narducci, and Steve Coulter were cast as Andrew Madoff, Stephanie Madoff, Eleanor Squillari, and Martin London, respectively. Diana B. Henriques was also cast as herself. On 11 September 2015, Lily Rabe was cast as Catherine Hooper.
Principal photography on the film began on August 31, 2015, in New York City.
John Burnham Schwartz, Sam Baum and Sam Levinson were credited as the film's writers. Diana Henriquess 'The Wizard of Lies: Bernie Madoff and The Death of Trust', and Laurie Sandells 'Truth and Consequences: Life Inside the Madoff Family' were credited as additional source material.
Reception
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 73%, based on 52 reviews, with a weighted average rating of 6.5/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "'The Wizard of Lies' doesn't really shed much new light on its fact-based story, but thanks to solid direction and a talented cast, it still proves consistently watchable." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 67 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating "favorable reviews". The film has a three-star rating on the Roger Ebert website, with the reviewer praising De Niro's performance.Ratings
The film's premiere drew 1.5 million viewers, making it HBO's largest premiere viewership for an HBO film in four years; additional replays and viewings through the network's streaming service brought the film's total viewers to 2.4 million for its premiere weekend.Awards and nominations
{| class="wikitable sortable"|-
! Year
! Award
! Category
! Nominee(s)
! Result
! Ref.
|-
| rowspan="5"|
| rowspan="3"| Primetime Emmy Awards
| Outstanding Television Movie
| Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro, Berry Welsh, Barry Levinson,
Tom Fontana, Jason Sosnoff, and Joseph E. Iberti
|
| align="center" rowspan="4"|
|-
| Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
| Robert De Niro
|
|-
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
| Michelle Pfeiffer
|
|-
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards
| Outstanding Casting for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special
| Ellen Chenoweth
|
|-
| Television Critics Association Awards
| colspan="2"| Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials
|
| align="center"|
|-
| rowspan="14"|
| American Cinema Editors Awards
| Best Edited Miniseries or Motion Picture for Television
| Ron Patane
|
| align="center"|
|-
| Artios Awards
| Outstanding Achievement in Casting Film Non-Theatrical Release
| Ellen Chenoweth and Susanne Scheel
|
| align="center"|
|-
| rowspan="3"| Critics' Choice Television Awards
| colspan="2"| Best Movie Made for Television
|
| align="center" rowspan="3"|
|-
| Best Actor in a Movie Made for Television or Limited Series
| Robert De Niro
|
|-
| Best Supporting Actress in a Movie Made for Television or Limited Series
| Michelle Pfeiffer
|
|-
| Directors Guild of America Awards
| Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Miniseries
| Barry Levinson
|
| align="center"|
|-
| rowspan="2"| Golden Globe Awards
| Best Actor Miniseries or Television Film
| Robert De Niro
|
| align="center" rowspan="2"|
|-
| Best Supporting Actress Series, Miniseries or Television Film
| Michelle Pfeiffer
|
|-
| Producers Guild of America Awards
| David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television
| Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro, Berry Welsh, Barry Levinson,
Tom Fontana, Jason Sosnoff, and Joseph E. Iberti
|
| align="center"|
|-
| rowspan="3"| Satellite Awards
| colspan="2"| Best Motion Picture Made for Television
|
| align="center" rowspan="3"|
|-
| Best Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television
| Robert De Niro
|
|-
| Best Actress in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television
| Michelle Pfeiffer
|
|-
| Screen Actors Guild Awards
| Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie
| Robert De Niro
|
| align="center"|
|-
| Writers Guild of America Awards
| Long Form Adapted
| Sam Levinson, John Burnham Schwartz, and Samuel Baum;
Based on the books:
'The Wizard of Lies' by Diana B. Henriques
'Truth and Consequences' by Laurie Sandell
|
| align="center"|
|-
|}
Soundtrack
'The Wizard of Lies (Music from the HBO Film)' was released digitally May 19, 2017, the day before the film's premiere.
See also
*'Madoff' (miniseries)
*Pyramid scheme
References
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