This HBO drama dives into Bernie Madoff’s (Robert De Niro) infamous Ponzi scheme, which defrauded billions.
With such a dynamite true story, the film should’ve been a knockout, but it feels flat. The script, by Sam Levinson and others, plods through family dynamics and Madoff’s deceit without the urgency or depth the scandal demands, skimming over victims’ devastation. Barry Levinson’s direction is competent, with moody visuals, but lacks the intensity to match the source material’s weight.
De Niro delivers a chilling, restrained Madoff, and Michelle Pfeiffer shines as his conflicted wife, Ruth, though their performances can’t salvage the muted narrative. Supporting roles, like Alessandro Nivola’s Mark Madoff, feel underdeveloped.
The film gestures at emotional and financial fallout but misses the raw chaos and broader societal impact detailed even on Wikipedia.
The Wizard of Lies is a watchable misfire that needed sharper pacing and bolder storytelling to do justice to Madoff’s catastrophic fraud.
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