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.
| The Wizard of Lies | |
|---|---|
 Television release poster | |
| Based on | The Wizard of Lies: Bernie Madoff and the Death of Trust by Diana B. Henriques |
| Written by | |
| Directed by | Barry Levinson |
| Starring | |
| Music by |
|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producer | Joseph E. Iberti |
| Cinematography | Eigil Bryld |
| Editor | Ron Patane |
| Running time | 132 minutes |
| Production company | HBO Films |
| Original release | |
| Network | HBO |
| Release | May 20, 2017 |
Plot
editBernard 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
edit- Robert De Niro as Bernard Madoff
- Michelle Pfeiffer as Ruth Madoff
- Alessandro Nivola as Mark Madoff
- Hank Azaria as Frank DiPascali
- Lily Rabe as Catherine Hooper
- Kristen Connolly as Stephanie Madoff
- Kathrine Narducci as Eleanor Squillari
- Michael Kostroff as Peter Madoff
- Nathan Darrow as Andrew Madoff
- Sydney Gayle as Emily Madoff
- Steve Coulter as Martin London
- Shivam Chopra as Male Student
- Clem Cheung as Denny Chin
- Diana B. Henriques as Herself
- Ben Hammer as Carl J. Shapiro
- Matt Fischel as Jeffry Picower
Production
editOn August 27, 2015 Michelle Pfeiffer and Alessandro Nivola joined the film to play wife Ruth Madoff and older son Mark Madoff, respectively.[1] 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.[6] 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
editCritical response
editOn 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."[7] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 67 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating "favorable reviews".[8] The film has a three-star rating on the Roger Ebert website, with the reviewer praising De Niro's performance.
Ratings
editThe 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.[9]
Awards and nominations
editSoundtrack
edit
| The Wizard of Lies (Music from the HBO Film) | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | |
| Released | May 19, 2017 |
| 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.[21]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Wizard of Lies" | Evgueni Galperine and Sacha Galperine | 1:56 |
| 2. | "A New Start" | Evgueni Galperine and Sacha Galperine | 0:58 |
| 3. | "Ponzi Scheme" | Evgueni Galperine and Sacha Galperine | 1:55 |
| 4. | "It's Not Enough" | Evgueni Galperine and Sacha Galperine | 2:06 |
| 5. | "Nightmare" | Evgueni Galperine and Sacha Galperine | 1:50 |
| 6. | "FBI" | Evgueni Galperine and Sacha Galperine | 2:29 |
| 7. | "150 Years" | Evgueni Galperine and Sacha Galperine | 3:14 |
| 8. | "The Club Colette Jam / Big Noise from Winnetka Medley" | The Club Collette Band | 7:18 |
| 9. | "Doubts" | Evgueni Galperine and Sacha Galperine | 1:04 |
| 10. | "Ruth Call" | Evgueni Galperine and Sacha Galperine | 2:40 |
| 11. | "I Revered Him" | Evgueni Galperine and Sacha Galperine | 2:31 |
| 12. | "I Have to Talk to You All" | Evgueni Galperine and Sacha Galperine | 1:45 |
| 13. | "Losing It" | Evgueni Galperine and Sacha Galperine | 2:08 |
| 14. | "The Pills" | Evgueni Galperine and Sacha Galperine | 0:43 |
| 15. | "The Boys Wouldn't Sign" | Evgueni Galperine and Sacha Galperine | 1:41 |
| 16. | "Make It Right" | Evgueni Galperine and Sacha Galperine | 1:14 |
| 17. | "My Father Is Dead to Me" | Evgueni Galperine and Sacha Galperine | 2:46 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (August 27, 2015). "HBO's Madoff Movie 'The Wizard Of Lies' A Go With Michelle Pfeiffer, Alessandro Nivola Joining Robert De Niro; Barry Levinson To Direct". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media, LLC. Archived from the original on February 25, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (September 9, 2015). "Hank Azaria Joins HBO's Bernie Madoff Movie 'The Wizard Of Lies'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (September 10, 2015). "HBO's Bernie Madoff Movie 'The Wizard Of Lies' Adds Five To Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (September 11, 2015). "Lily Rabe Joins HBO's Bernie Madoff Movie 'The Wizard Of Lies'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
- ^ "'Wizard of Lies', starring Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer, filming locations in NYC this week". onlocationvacations.com. August 31, 2015. Archived from the original on August 10, 2016. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
- ^ Liz Calvario (2017-04-12). "'The Wizard Of Lies' Trailer: Robert De Niro Heads To Court As Epic Fraudster Bernie Madoff". Deadline. Archived from the original on 2020-10-18. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
The Wizard of Lies was written by John Burnham Schwartz, Sam Baum and Sam Levinson, based on Diana Henriques' book, with Laurie Sandell's Truth and Consequences also used as additional source material.
- ^ "The Wizard of Lies (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Archived from the original on November 26, 2017. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
- ^ "The Wizard of Lies Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 27, 2017. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 23, 2017). "Madoff Movie 'Wizard Of Lies' Draws Largest Premiere Viewership For HBO Film In 4 Years". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 25, 2017. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
- ^ "The Wizard of Lies". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on July 17, 2017. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
- ^ Schwartz, Ryan (5 August 2017). "TCA Awards: The Handmaid's Tale, Atlanta, Big Little Lies, Carrie Coon Among Big Winners". TVLine. Archived from the original on 3 January 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
- ^ Carolyn Giardina (January 3, 2018). "'Dunkirk,' 'Shape of Water,' 'Baby Driver' Among ACE Eddie Awards Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
- ^ "2018 Artios Awards". www.castingsociety.com. Archived from the original on April 15, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
- ^ Tapley, Kristopher (January 11, 2018). "'Shape of Water,' 'Big Little Lies,' 'Handmaid's Tale' Top Critics' Choice Awards". Variety. Archived from the original on March 6, 2018. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
- ^ "70th DGA Awards". Directors Guild of America Awards. Archived from the original on December 1, 2020. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ "The Wizard of Lies – Golden Globes". HFPA. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ Pedersen, Erik (January 5, 2018). "PGA Awards Film & TV Nominations Unveiled". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
- ^ "2017 Satellite Awards". Satellite Awards. International Press Academy. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
- ^ "The 24th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards". Screen Actors Guild Awards. Archived from the original on August 2, 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
- ^ Littleton, Cynthia (December 7, 2017). "Writers Guild Award TV Nominations: 'The Americans,' 'Handmaid's Tale,' 'GLOW' Grab Multiple Mentions". Variety. Archived from the original on August 28, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
- ^ "Soundtrack to Original HBO Film THE WIZARD OF LIES Available Digitally 5/19". Broadwayworld.com. May 15, 2017. Archived from the original on June 2, 2017. Retrieved May 24, 2017.