User reviews

This is an enjoyable, funny, exposing portrayal of the corrupt system of offshore accounts and how some apparently disconnected events share links back to the corruption at work. Maybe it shouldn't be funny because this is an infuriating reality that could be fixed if...well, if legislators were themselves not corrupt. Yes, the telling of the tale is not done in a totally conventional straight-forward linear way. But it is easy to follow and amusing, even as you feel you should be angry. And of course you realise that this film won't change a thing. But it is well made and acted.

Yes, the message comes across loud and clear about the dilemma of fraudulent insurance scams, tax evasions and shell companies, but the storytelling is haphazard, disjointed and feeble at best. The stellar cast cannot save what the writing is messing up, this is a missed opportunity of telling (what could have been) a much better story about a dark element of today American corporate life (which Mr. Trump clearly play a role in as well...).

This movie is about a very boring subject. This also happens to be a rather complicated subject. What this film does with the subject however makes the movie entertaining from the first to last minute.

Throughout the whole movie, I catch my self laughing so hard and here they're genuinely funny moments. Streep is just so good! It is really a pleasure to watch her act. She is amazing! The whole cast is great! What really makes this a good film is not the topic or concept of the story but rather all the elements of the film. The way to tell a story. Soderbergh again is so good at what he does. Smart writing that engages viewers to like and enjoy a story. Money, corruption are elements that sometimes are too familiar in our lives and we do not want to see as for entertainment. It all depends on what you like to see in films. The Laundromat is well-acted and well written. Personally, I loved it!!!

If you are like me absolutely not interested in financial companies, rich people and their dodgy ways of making money, but you still want to know about the Panama Papers scandal than The Laundromat is worth a watch. They try to explain it in a funny way, but even then I'm still not getting all the scams. And that's just because I'm an antisocial person that wants to live as far away as possible from people like that. The movie is worth a watch because of the very good cast. Gary Oldman, Antonio Banderas, Meryl Streep for the bigger roles, Matthias Schoenaerts, Sharon Stone, David Schwimmer and others for the smaller parts. It's well filmed and brought, and even if it's very far away from my way of life, and that I still don't understand half of the possible scams, it's entertaining. The world needs more whistle blowers, but what it needs more are competent judges putting all those leaches in prison for a long time, but that's just utopic as the world isn't fair and never will be.

Not to say the Asian actors' Chinese dialogue was anything other than plain awkward. This is the very first movie I found to be entirely deleted from Douban. I didn't use to think there might be that much truth to it. Now I do.

A quality cast is betrayed by a clumsily assembled script in Steven Soderbergh's overly preachy documentary/dramedy hybrid approach to the Panama Papers.

This movie tell us an interesting story, but with excessive side plots. A guy sleeping with his daughter's best friend, a bigamist accountant, a Chinese power couple involved in murder, what do they add to the story? They are distractions that prevent us to focus on the money laundering scheme.

The attorneys at the center of the scandal this covers, filed suit in federal court claiming they were defamed by the film. Upon viewing, you'll realize that there is no way they did not defame themselves.

Above and beyond that, this is a film every single person who is unfamiliar with offshore banking should see. It describes in accurate, albeit humorous terms, how "money" works in some people's hands, vs. how it works in the hands of the normal Joe.

The cast is made up of amazing actors who give amazing performances, yet as most of us know, that isn't always the ingredient for a great movie. This one went a step further, and gifted us with FACTS. (Not even its many detractors can argue with any conclusive proof that the laws it unveils to the layman are not on the books and being used daily).

Basically, it takes the viewer through the inner machinations of a business run by people who know the law and push the law as far as the law will allow in order to serve their own purposes. People who deal in gauging the value of buying and selling trades and commodities, as easy as they gauge the value of .... and trade in ... other people.

Lastly, in going through other reviews here, I can't help but think about how different we all are, and how some people understood and could appreciate such a well presented window into actual business practices and money and how the two affect the average American, and how others seemed to take simple facts, as a personal affront or attack on their political party.

Not WANTING to face facts, does not change fact.

The film itself is great. We definitely need more films like this rather than just popcorn entertainment. It's very educational and has a great point. The bold cinematic forms are inspiring too.

But PLEASE, please get the Chinese language right. It's already the year of 2019, and it's almost absurd for me to see that every Chinese character in every single English language film can't speak Chinese.

I'm not even talking about the accent. Some of these actors are Chinese Americans who grew up without learning Chinese, and their native language is English. Some speak Cantonese, which is completely different from Mandarin. The only actor in this film that can speak Mandarin is 'Bo Xilai.'

When the language is so broken and child-like, it's really hard to believe in their characters, and it kills the scene. So please, please, please. Pay more attention to this. ADR the scene, find an assistant casting director that understands the language, cast uprising Mandarin-speaking actors, hire a language coach...there are a million ways to make it work if you just try a little harder.

When Meryl Streep's fictional husband dies in a boating accident, she discovers that the boat insurance is derailed by a series of complicated scams (shell companies managed in Panama) and she probably won't get a dime.

This may seem disconnected from the film opening, with Banderas and Oldman playing two unsavoury characters, but we soon discover they are at the heart of the scandal knows as the Panama Papers, which the movie tries to explain with a series of vignettes, supposed to be sarcastic and - perhaps - even hilarious.

The result is pretty boring, despite the characters (and schemes) being truly despicable and the whole political system supporting it even more so. Unfortunately, the pacing and plotting is convoluted and too many intercontinental characters are involved to care about any of them.

Besides, Oldman's German accent was annoying to the point of distraction. Given the international cast, I wonder why they didn't just hire a real German actor.

A missed opportunity, even if Streep is quite good in it.

Many years ago of course, but as I look back I now realize that this sort of financial treachery has been going on since the Garden of Eden.

As a callow youth back in the early 70's on the Island of Jersey in the Channel Islands I landed a job at one of the "conduit banks" that handled remittances from overseas colonies , countries in Africa, The Middle East, India, Pakistan etc.

Even then it was shrouded in secrecy and I was too young to realize that the stuff that was going on was mainly designed by Accountants and Lawyers to keep money out of the hands of Governments who wanted it so they could steal it themselves.

Local lawyers were given seats on the boards of locally incorporated companies with shares to go along with the appointment but with pre-signed letters of resignation should they get out of line. In those early 70's it was just an infant industry compared to today , the fire was lit by the fall of the Soviet Union, The European Union and the economic rise of China.

So many more crooks materialized with a need to hide their loot.

What was millions before, quickly became hundreds of billions as the aforesaid accountants and lawyers looked for loopholes and paperwork to get around taxation laws.

It wasn't the politicians who deliberately drew up the laws to allow this exploitation, they usually ain't smart enough, but the lawyers and accountants ARE smart enough and that's why we have this debacle. The problem is that everything is just this side of legal so no one can do much about it.

My friend at the time was a senior law draftsman for the Government of Jersey and he told me that they always drew up a law so there was an obscure escape hatch, in case they themselves ever got in a jam.

A tweak or two here and there ruins one haven's advantage (and its economy) and opens up another in a different spot.

In today's world you can move any amount of money from one jurisdiction to another at the click of a key, without a question being asked.

And so this movie examines the spider's web with a touch of humour, a great deal of panache and a fairly good understanding of what goes on when things go south.

Meryl Streep is very good in her role and Gary Oldman and Banderas are perfect as the amoral principals in Mossack/Fonseca.

There's no such thing as "just desserts" in the world of offshore finance because hardly anyone ever loses. By the time the authorities get around to nailing someone, the money's been moved to another jurisdiction and they have to start all over again.

Most people think that you can walk into a bank or law office in one of these places with a court order from the U.S. or Canada (or wherever) and that they will shrink in fear and give you the info you're looking for............. Think again!

They just laugh at these orders, because they have no authority in foreign countries and they serve as an early warning system to their clients to move the money, tout de suite, to one of the other jurisdictions I just mentioned. Think of a cat trying to catch a dot of light on the living room wall and you'll have a good understanding.

A couple of things to remember about these jewels in the Caribbean or the Med or the English Channel;

1) that the locals don't reap much of the benefits (apart from the few who are part of the game).

I myself was paid peanuts for handling vast amounts of money, while the banks as entities made a king's ransom by way of service fees and trust administration charges. Those cheapskate banks still pay miserly wages to the front desk flunkies.

2) Even if Governments DO manage to collect any money, you won't see a dime of reduction in your taxes, because they spend most of that money firstly in expenses collecting it, and secondly on programs trying to stamp it out. It's like painting the Forth Bridge.

So, very little of the fabulous sums actually stay where they are deposited and only a tiny, tiny fraction is spent on local economies, because the rich don't actually live there. The money just bounces on the ground for a second and ends up either in London or New York, where Xanadu type homes are purchased in anonymous company names.

Don't believe the headlines that tell us that it's being cleaned up, it's worse than it ever was.

A very interesting, if depressing, movie, a million tax free times better than "The Big Short" enjoy.

Money might not talk, but it rules (pun intended). Having it makes you being able to do things, get stuff and just overall have advantages over others. This takes many cases of things that actually happen and has quite a lot of star power behind it (or in front of it/camera). Soderbergh does have that pull, so not really surprising.

The quality varies, but overall this is quite decent. There is a message here (or multiple ones I guess), but it still is able to be entertaining. Characters and likeability vary and some will like or hate it for this. But just enjoy an ensemble and some interesting stories - if you can

As others have noted, this movie is in the vein of The Big Short, which did a great job of explaining, in a comedic way, certain complex financial machinations. By comparison, The Laundrymat falls completely flat, and each of its disjointed, meandering and muddled vignettes does as much to confuse (and in some cases misinform) laymen as it does to enlighten them about the nature of financial shenanigans revealed in the Panama Papers. Although I agree with the fundamental message of the movie, which in the end is delivered in the most heavy-handed manner I've ever witnessed in cinema (poor Meryl Streep), both the story-telling and the technical explanations are simply sophomoric. I almost never write a negative review. I love movies, I admire the actors in this movie, and I'm easy to please. But wow, this was bad. I had to speak out.

A political comedy about corruption that should be mandatory to be shown in schools and I do not only mean film schools, I mean all schools..Everyone paying taxes should see it.

Yes, it shows some aspects of what is going on in the financial world and yes, it is not covering the whole system of abuse. Great acting on behalf of Meryl Streep which of course is not surprising. I was missing the role of central banks in this strange but true world order and of course the new role of crypto currencies that have become a new outlet for tax evasion and miscellaneous corruption.

Probably one of the reason it is still flourishing.

It is probably impossible to cover all aspects in one film.

I am truly surprised about the low rating it has gotten from users.

My only explanation is that it does not follow the centuries old blueprint of the heroes journey moving along a standard three act structure, which I consider daring and a plus. Especially if it manages to advance the art of film making, which this film does.

Directorial gimmicks of intertwining realms in one take usually used in the world of expensive and glossy corporate videos make this film a gem.

Definitely worth a watch! Fantastic cast and a brilliant plot; wish it was less of a docu-drama style narrative and instead a more engaging narrative. A kind of a dummy for shell corporations and the Panama papers leak which had explosive effects in the financial markets and political circles around the globe.

Yes, The Big Short is better. But I liked this movie. I thought Meryl, Antonio and Gary were good. And just like in The Big Short, I didn't understand half the financial transactions that were explained to us. Regardless, I did understand what they were trying to tell us and I enjoyed watching this.

Side note, it's interesting how you always instantly recognise Meryl Streep, regardless of how many wigs and sunglasses she puts on.

Eye opening aspects of real life recent events. Apparently it takes A-listers to make us listen.

I would say that The Laundromat is a no-holds-barred look into the very REAL Panama Papers scandal, but that would be a lie, as it actually does hold back A LOT and does not delve deeply enough into detailing much of the corruption which ensued then, and which still exists today.

For those unfamiliar with the "Panama Papers" scandal, in 2016, a whistle-blower released over 11 MILLION documents from the law firm Mossack & Fonseca (just ONE of the law firms involved in this kind of business), which detailed almost every aspect regarding the structure and practices of the shell companies which are used by some of the world's richest people in order to avoid paying taxes. This film, while presenting much of the story, fails to present all of it. One of the things the film did NOT cover, was what happened to journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who first broke the story.

I believe that one of the reasons Soderbergh chose to not cover that part, and other equally disturbing aspects of the scandal, was that he wanted to present a film which would speak in almost lighthearted (if such a thing can even be done on this topic) and simplistic terms that most anyone could understand. As such, the film is presented as mostly comedy, which to me, is both unfortunate and genius. I mean, how best to swallow a bitter, but necessary pill, than to camouflage it with chocolate? While the chocolate in no way makes the pill less effective, it does help it go down easier. In the same manner, what was presented, although not complete, is in no way false. The only falsehoods, come from those who choose to lie to themselves, and to others, by thinking and propagating the thought that presenting these truths is somehow meant to demean them or their political party. These individuals should ask themselves: if your political party needs to be defended from simple truth, facts, data and documentation, how believable, honorable or strong is it to begin with?

Lastly, I am not a "shill", I do not work for the film or anyone associated with it; I gain nothing from this or any other review; nor do I really care if anyone believes me. What I do care about is that due to emotional cry-baby attitudes and just plain ignorance, the truth is being silenced more and more, not just on IMDB, but across several platforms. I care that it is truly a tragedy, travesty and sin when ill-informed people CHOOSE to STAY ill-informed. I care about the absurdity of ill-informed people doubling-down and trying to manipulate ratings (such as is the case here) in order to try and sway other such people to also remain ill-informed. WHO in their right minds would choose misinformation for themselves when a vast plethora of information is readily available to us (now more than at any other time in the history of the world). When you think about it, choosing to remain uninformed seems almost unnatural in today's world. The term: "educate yourselves" should not be seen as an insult. This film does that, whether the viewer wants it or not.

This is a good and important story based on the unconscionable abuses of worldwide tax and business systems. Unfortunately, the message and plot are not as clear or effective as they could have been, due to haphazard and disjointed writing. To be sure, the topics are complex, but this movie jumped around from one story to the next, and it is not entirely clear how they connect. They did do a fine job of developing a series of thoroughly contemptible characters.

Fantastic dark comedy about how the super rich hide their money and ruin the world for the rest of us. Just watch it. Anyone down voting this is a political operative or sheep 🤷‍♀️

I really enjoyed this movie and played close attention to Melissa Rauch. Her lines were few and very short, and in situations where her character had to speak softly. Obviously they were trying to avoid her Bernadette voice.

The topic of offshore finance is fascinating, but unfortunately this poorly written and poorly acted film will leave you not learning anything new. Your time is better spent watching a 5 minute Youtube video on the topic.