The Wizard of Lies explained

Director:Barry Levinson
Country:United States
Language:English
Producer:Joseph E. Iberti
Editor:Ron Patane
Cinematography:Eigil Bryld
Runtime:132 minutes
Company:HBO Films

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,[1] 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. This is the fourth film featuring De Niro and Pfeiffer, following Stardust (2007), New Year's Eve (2011) and The Family (2013), as well as their first collaboration for television.

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. He employs his sons, Mark and Andrew, and his wife, Ruth. In 2008, 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 in to the authorities.

Bernie Madoff admits to FBI agents that he had been operating a Ponzi scheme since the 1970s. In 2009, 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 does not want to give investigators his Depository Trust Company (DTC) account number but complies with their request in an unsuspecting manner. Madoff explains that all the SEC had to do was to make a call to DTC to verify the supposed assets of his advisory business and they would have realised right there and then that there were in fact no assets held in the firm's DTC account and the entire operation was a fraud. No phone call from the SEC to DTC was made.

By the start of the 2008 Great Recession in the United States, numerous clients start pouring into Madoff's firm to withdraw their money. Madoff does not have the money to return, however, and realizes that his fraud will inevitably be exposed. He tells his wife and sons about the Ponzi scheme, and his sons are left with no choice but to turn him in. Madoff and his wife attempt suicide by taking Ambien, but fail to take a lethal dose.

Clawback suits are filed against Madoff's sons. Mark Madoff commits suicide, while Andrew dies of cancer. Before the latter's death, he says, "My father is dead to me." Ruth tells Madoff that she will no longer visit him and will no longer take his calls from prison. She wants a relationship with her son and blames him for Mark's death. While talking with a journalist in prison, Madoff refuses to take responsibility for ruining his victims' lives, even blaming them for "letting" him take advantage of them. He then asks, "Do you think I'm a sociopath?"

Cast

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.[2] 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.[3] On 11 September 2015, Lily Rabe was cast as Catherine Hooper.[4]

Principal photography on the film began on August 31, 2015, in New York City.[5]

John Burnham Schwartz, Sam Baum and Sam Levinson were credited as the film's writers. Diana Henriques’s The Wizard of Lies: Bernie Madoff and The Death of Trust, and Laurie Sandell’s 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."[6] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 67 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating "favorable reviews".[7] 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.[8]

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryNominee(s)ResultRef.
Primetime Emmy AwardsJane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro, Berry Welsh,
Barry Levinson, Tom Fontana, Jason Sosnoff,
and Joseph E. Iberti		[9]
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or MovieRobert De Niro
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or MovieMichelle Pfeiffer
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy AwardsOutstanding Casting for a Limited Series, Movie, or SpecialEllen Chenoweth
Television Critics Association Awards[10]
American Cinema Editors AwardsBest Edited Miniseries or Motion Picture for TelevisionRon Patane[11]
Artios AwardsOutstanding Achievement in Casting – Film – Non-Theatrical ReleaseEllen Chenoweth and Susanne Scheel[12]
Critics' Choice Television AwardsBest Movie Made for Television[13]
Best Actor in a Movie Made for Television or Limited SeriesRobert De Niro
Best Supporting Actress in a Movie Made for Television or Limited SeriesMichelle Pfeiffer
Directors Guild of America AwardsOutstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and MiniseriesBarry Levinson[14]
Golden Globe AwardsBest Actor – Miniseries or Television FilmRobert De Niro[15]
Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television FilmMichelle Pfeiffer
Producers Guild of America AwardsDavid L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form TelevisionJane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro, Berry Welsh,
Barry Levinson, Tom Fontana, Jason Sosnoff,
and Joseph E. Iberti		[16]
Satellite AwardsBest Motion Picture Made for Television[17]
Best Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for TelevisionRobert De Niro
Best Actress in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for TelevisionMichelle Pfeiffer
Screen Actors Guild AwardsOutstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television MovieRobert De Niro[18]
Writers Guild of America AwardsLong Form – AdaptedSam 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		[19]

Soundtrack

The Wizard of Lies (Music from the HBO Film)
Type:soundtrack
Artist:Evgueni Galperine and Sacha Galperine
Length:38:18
Label:Lakeshore Records

The Wizard of Lies (Music from the HBO Film) was released digitally May 19, 2017, the day before the film's premiere.[20]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Andreeva . Nellie . HBO's Madoff Movie 'The Wizard Of Lies' A Go With Michelle Pfeiffer, Alessandro Nivola Joining Robert De Niro; Barry Levinson To Direct . Deadline.com . Penske Business Media, LLC . August 27, 2015 . January 13, 2017 . February 25, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200225041309/https://deadline.com/2015/08/wizard-of-lies-madoff-movie-michelle-pfeiffer-alessandro-nivola-cast-robert-de-niro-barry-levinson-1201508246/ . live .
  2. News: Andreeva. Nellie. Hank Azaria Joins HBO's Bernie Madoff Movie 'The Wizard Of Lies'. September 23, 2015. deadline.com. September 9, 2015. September 23, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150923141541/http://deadline.com/2015/09/hank-azaria-cast-wizard-of-lies-bernie-madoff-hbo-movie-1201519852/. live.
  3. News: Andreeva. Nellie. HBO's Bernie Madoff Movie 'The Wizard Of Lies' Adds Five To Cast. September 23, 2015. deadline.com. September 10, 2015. September 23, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150923225440/https://deadline.com/2015/09/hbo-bernie-madoff-movie-the-wizard-of-lies-cast-1201521008/. live.
  4. News: Andreeva. Nellie. Lily Rabe Joins HBO's Bernie Madoff Movie 'The Wizard Of Lies'. September 23, 2015. deadline.com. September 11, 2015. September 23, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150923213317/https://deadline.com/2015/09/lily-rabe-cast-bernie-madoff-movie-the-wizard-of-lies-1201521912/. live.
  5. News: 'Wizard of Lies', starring Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer, filming locations in NYC this week. September 2, 2015. onlocationvacations.com. August 31, 2015. August 10, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160810095736/http://www.onlocationvacations.com/2015/08/31/wizard-of-lies-starring-robert-de-niro-and-michelle-pfeiffer-filming-locations-in-nyc-this-week/. dead.
  6. Web site: The Wizard of Lies (2017) . . . April 15, 2021 . November 26, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171126141538/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_wizard_of_lies . live .
  7. Web site: The Wizard of Lies Reviews . . . May 24, 2017 . May 27, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170527023610/http://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-wizard-of-lies . live .
  8. News: Andreeva. Nellie. Madoff Movie 'Wizard Of Lies' Draws Largest Premiere Viewership For HBO Film In 4 Years. May 24, 2017. deadline.com. May 23, 2017. May 25, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170525032654/http://deadline.com/2017/05/wizard-of-lies-hbo-premiere-ratings-madoff-movie-1202100882/. dead.
  9. Web site: The Wizard of Lies . Emmys.com . . July 13, 2017 . July 17, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170717051437/http://www.emmys.com/shows/wizard-lies . live .
  10. Web site: Schwartz. Ryan. TCA Awards: The Handmaid's Tale, Atlanta, Big Little Lies, Carrie Coon Among Big Winners. TVLine. 6 August 2017. 5 August 2017. 3 January 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180103032315/https://tvline.com/2017/08/05/tca-awards-2017-winners-critics-the-handmaids-tale-program-of-the-year/. live.
  11. News: Carolyn Giardina. 'Dunkirk,' 'Shape of Water,' 'Baby Driver' Among ACE Eddie Awards Nominees. January 3, 2018. The Hollywood Reporter. January 3, 2018. April 17, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210417185258/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/american-cinema-editors-eddie-awards-full-nominees-list-1067864. live.
  12. Web site: 2018 Artios Awards . January 18, 2018 . www.castingsociety.com . en . April 15, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230415182152/https://www.castingsociety.com/awards/artios/2018 . live .
  13. Web site: 'Shape of Water,' 'Big Little Lies,' 'Handmaid's Tale' Top Critics' Choice Awards . Tapley . Kristopher . January 11, 2018 . . January 11, 2018 . March 6, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180306004242/http://variety.com/2018/film/awards/2018-critics-choice-award-winners-full-list-1202662114/ . live .
  14. Web site: 70th DGA Awards . . July 5, 2021 . December 1, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201201184551/https://www.dga.org/Awards/History/2010s/2017.aspx?value=2017 . live .
  15. Web site: The Wizard of Lies – Golden Globes . . July 5, 2021 . . June 24, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210624020408/https://www.goldenglobes.com/tv-show/wizard-lies . live .
  16. Web site: Pedersen. Erik. PGA Awards Film & TV Nominations Unveiled. Deadline.com. January 5, 2018. January 5, 2018. January 26, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210126080140/https://deadline.com/2018/01/pga-awards-nominations-2018-1202236312/. live.
  17. Web site: 2017 Satellite Awards . . . July 10, 2021 . December 11, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201211140037/https://www.pressacademy.com/2017-winners/ . live .
  18. Web site: The 24th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards . . May 21, 2016 . August 2, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200802032037/http://www.sagawards.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/24th-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards . live .
  19. Web site: Littleton. Cynthia. Writers Guild Award TV Nominations: 'The Americans,' 'Handmaid's Tale,' 'GLOW' Grab Multiple Mentions. Variety. December 7, 2017. December 7, 2017. August 28, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180828040200/https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/writers-guild-award-tv-nominations-americans-handmaids-tale-glow-1202632895/. live.
  20. News: Soundtrack to Original HBO Film THE WIZARD OF LIES Available Digitally 5/19. May 24, 2017. Broadwayworld.com. May 15, 2017. June 2, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170602051724/http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/Soundtrack-to-Original-HBO-Film-THE-WIZARD-OF-LIES-Available-Digitally-519-20170515. live.

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