The Wizard of Lies 2017

      Bernard Lawrence Madoff is probably the top American fraudster and former stockbroker, investment advisor and financier.  He was formerly the non-executive chairman of the NASDAQ stock market.  He operated a Ponzi scheme that was the largest financial fraud in US history.  The size of the fraud was estimated to be $64.8 billion or more.  In November 30, 2008, he had 4800 clients.  He cheated the wealthy and he cheated the poor.  People lost their savings, retirement money and many were bankrupt.  The scheme started as early as the mid-1980’s but could have been in the 1970’s.  The US Securities and Exchange Commission had conducted multiple investigations but had not uncovered any fraud?  Madoff didn’t invest any of the money he received, gains were fabricated and monthly statements were fraudulent?

     Bernie Madoff has some kind of psychological condition??  He destroyed lives and this included his own family.  He doesn’t feel remorse, he can readily lie to your face, he doesn’t feel anything about what he did?  He said he was guilty in court to 11 felony counts just to escape a trial?  The first clue anyone in the family or in the offices had that something was wrong was Bernie writing early bonus checks.  He wanted to “take care of people” before the Feds came to arrest him?   This story seems unbelievable but it’s true??  3 ½* (I liked this movie) 

133 min, Bio directed by Barry Levinson with Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Allesandro Nivola, Michae Kostroff, Katerine Narducci, Steve Coulter, David Lipman, Kelly AuCoin, Don Castro, Amanda Warren, Mark La Mura, Michael A. Goorjiian.

Note:  Imdb 6.9/10, 72% critic 64% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 3*, Amazon Video 3.4* out of 5* with 63 reviews, Metacritic 67 out of 100 with 26 critics 6.8 out of 10 with 27 ratings, The Guardian 2* out of 5* review by Simon Abrams.

Special Note:  Two films were made about Bernie Madoff in 2016, this film and also Madoff.  Both films are TV productions and this film is by HBO.  Michelle Pfeiffer prepared for her role by spending time with Ruth Madoff.