Madoff (2016) User Reviews (18)

a $50 billion fraud that took years to discover

[blanche-2 · 8/10 · 4 February 2016]

"Madoff" is the story of sociopath Bernie Madoff, a story we all know too well. It's worth watching for the performances.

It stars Richard Dreyfuss as Madoff. He's terrific, and I imagine very much like the real man. The two-parter follows the story of the Ponzi scheme, the effect on Bernie's family, and Madoff's inner dialogue, done as a narration.

Other actors in this excellent cast include Blythe Danner, Tom Lipinski, Peter Scolari, Danny Deferrari, Frank Whaley, and Erin Cummings.

Though the first part is all over the place, with dizzying camera work and disjunctive scenes; the second part is much better.

The film does a great job of showing what happens when people -- like, for instance, the SEC -- turn a blind eye to something because they believe someone to be respectable. It took securities investigator Harry Markopolos 10 minutes to figure out that Madoff was running a Ponzi scheme, and six hours to figure out how he was doing it. But no one listened - and that's the title of his book.

It also demonstrates how Madoff saw himself as a victim, the "fall guy," finding it outrageous that he was being blamed.

Standout in the cast, besides Dreyfuss, is Peter Scolari as Peter Madoff - a brilliant, emotional performance; Tom Lipinski and Danny Deferrari as his sons, who found out the trading division they ran was just a front and turned him in; Blythe Danner as Ruth Madoff, who stood by him and tried to get her sons to sign a bond for his bail (they refused); and Michael Rispoli, who worked side by side with Bernie.

I saw "Enron: The Smartest Guy in the Room" and also a documentary about Madoff, and saw the SEC meeting where a Judge slammed the SEC, asking them "what the hell" they thought they were doing, ignoring countless letters of complaint about Madoff, and the fact that somehow they didn't know he wasn't a registered agent. Not that he needed to be one - the only investments he ever made were in his own bank account, to the tune of $50 billion.

For Bernie's investors, half of them as of this date have been completely repaid, with more money being returned all the time. Irving Picard has been diligent in going after Bernie's money - but mind you, he formed foundations and gave millions to charities, and those charities wound up having to return the money.

It's an awful story, but it's hard to have pity for Madoff. It's hard to feel sorry for his investors, because it was greed that brought them to him in the first place, the carrot of big money.

The ones to pity are the members of Madoff's family: his two sons, now both deceased, his son Andrew telling a newspaper that his father's disgrace "killed my brother (suicide) and it's killing me slowly (lmantle cell lymphoma)." The family has a genetic predisposition to cancer; leukemia killed his nephew Roger.

In one of the saddest moments of the film, Madoff presents his brother Peter (Scolari), Roger's father, with a new car shortly after Roger's death. Peter of course works in Madoff's firm and knows Bernie's methods aren't above board, but he doesn't know details. Peter gets into the car and sobs, "Roger, he's been paying me off for years, hasn't he?"

"Nobody wants the magic trick explained," Madoff tells his wife. And he was right. Nobody wants the magic trick explained as long as the checks are good and the money keeps rolling in.

Best of them all

[deedee0 · 8/10 · 26 June 2017]

This is by far the best production, documentaries included, of the Madoff story. The script was excellent. The information and plot are easy to follow without being weighed down by boring financial specifics. The major players are represented well and the acting is superb. Dreyfuss, Danner, and Rispoli make De Niro, Pfeiffer, and Azaria look like amateurs! I enjoyed the miniseries so much that I wish there were more episodes!

too long, Dreyfuss great

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 5 February 2016]

Bernie Madoff (Richard Dreyfuss) was a trusted member of Wall Street and the chairman of Nasdaq. It shocked almost everyone when he's revealed to have run a giant Ponzi scheme. His wife Ruth (Blythe Danner) is clueless to the scheme and even his extra-marital affairs. He even cheats money out of his secretary Eleanor Squillari (Erin Cummings). His brother Peter (Peter Scolari) is troubled about his role as Chief Compliance Officer. His older son Mark is angry that he's not allowed to be involved in the company investments. His younger son Andrew also works for him and gets sick. Harry Markopolos (Frank Whaley) warned the SEC over and over again about the possible fraud at Madoff to no avail.

This two part network TV mini-series 2 x 2 hours is a bit too extended. As a drama, this would work much better compressed in half. The most important moment for me is back in the '29 when a young Madoff covered his client's losses. It explained how he started and the essence of what he's about. He's a confidence man. I don't need any more reveals about Madoff. That scene is eureka to Madoff and a perfect explanation of his character. The Harry Markopolos part provides some fun tension but that also gets played out. The rest about Bernie is a bit repetitive. I do not bemoan the secretary wanting a scene showing her being taken by Madoff. However, these self-serving scenes do pile up. The middle is a bit extended. Through it all, there is Dreyfuss doing great work.

A clear narrative account of Bernie Madoff's 64 billion dollar Ponzi scam

[Ed-Shullivan · 10/10 · 3 February 2016]

I was so pleased to hear that the A List actor Richard Dreyfuss (American Graffiti, Jaws, and The Goodbye Girl) signed on to play the U.S.A.'s biggest investment fraudster, the Ponzi scheme master, Bernie Madoff. From the beginning of the biographical film, Richard Dreyfuss narrates the Bernie Madoff biography and he walks us through his "modus operandi" how he conned so many smart and wealthy investors starting in 1960 when his accountant father-in-law introduces a young Bernie Madoff to his own circle of clients, as well as many elderly people who entrusted Bernie Madoff with their life savings.

Bernie's method of convincing investors to continue investing with him was to tell his clients that he was prepared to immediately cut them a cheque for their entire investment plus interest but then they would not be allowed to invest with him again. Madoff had his brother, wife and sons working in his firm and as the story progresses we really are left to wonder whether or not they knew anything about the Ponzi scheme, or did they just believe in Bernie Madoff the investment guru, who was their husband, father or brother.

Also agreeing to play in this non-sanctioned autobiography film "Madoff" are Blythe Danner as Bernie's wife, Peter Scolari as Bernie's brother Peter, Michael Rispoli as the behind the scenes book fixer, Charles Grodin as Carl Shapiro, Frank Whaley as a competitive broker named Harry Markopolos who figures out Bernie's secret method which is simply a fraud. Richard Dreyfuss's real life son Ben Dreyfuss plays the younger Bernie Madoff which makes it easier to believe the evolution of Bernie Madoff over the decades.

Slowly the film peels away each layer of skin one by one, on this onion and we get to see the real Bernie Madoff as the scammer that he really is and then how the S.E.C. (Securities and Exchange Commissions) closes in on him to eventually stop the bleeding and the U.S.A.'s biggest Ponzi scheme. Since the film was originally released as a two part story and it was deluged with commercial breaks I look forward to purchasing the DVD version and watching the film the way it should be seen, without any commercial breaks.

It is an excellent film with great insight into how easily thousands of investors were scammed for decades as long as the return on investments continued to be high and as Bernie would say "we need to continue to grow and find new investors". I give the film two thumbs up. Definitely worth investing your movie viewing time in, but not your money with Bernie Madoff who will remain in prison for his 150 year sentence.

A Dickensian Name -- Madoff an enigmatic tragedy

[natalierosen · 10/10 · 6 February 2016]

If the great master, Charles Dickens, were alive I do not think even he could ascribe an appellation to a person that would fittingly characterize the very essence of the anti-hero as does the name Madoff. Yes, Bernie Madoff, the man who single handedly pulled off the greatest Ponzi schemes in human history and fraudulently MADE OFF with so many innocents' money which he laundered to the tune of 65 Billion, yes, with a "B" bucks.

Richard Dreyfuss and Blythe Danner pulled off, I think, one of the greatest acting efforts of their careers. Their portrayals of a man and his wife were picture perfect. I urge you if you have not seen "Madoff" look it up on the ABC web site or search your cable network to see if it will be broadcast again. Understatedly, it is a docudrama fit for our time.

I kept wishing there were a film group dedicated to the analysis of this portrayal of Madoff because there are so many topics of human nature including greed, narcissism and the intrinsic sickness of anarchistic capitalism gone wild that are worthy of discussion. Moreover, there are other films such as Woody Allen's "Crimes and Misdemeanors," "Match Point," The Coen Brothers "A Serious Man" "Wall Street" and yes, even Holocaust films that speak to the moral lengths and extremes a person can and will go to serve his own ends or conversely to protect others even at his own expense.

The story of "Madoff" is so complex that it speaks to not only his life but to all of our lives albeit to our nation's life as well. It should give us pause to ask is this the nation we truly want to be. Or is there another way where as Martin Luther King said "... justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream."

Fine job, especially by Dreyfuss

[vchimpanzee · 11 February 2016]

I didn't know that much about Bernie Madoff, except that he had supposedly cheated people out of millions of dollars. Actually, it was billions.

But right away Richard Dreyfuss made this supposedly evil man look like a great guy. You have to like him. He had his clients' best interests at heart, but he knew what he was doing would be frowned on by the SEC and the federal government. And yet he had been doing this since the 1960s--making big money for people regardless of what the market was doing.

And it became quickly apparent that Bernie cared about his family. A loving wife who had only a vague idea that her husband's dealings weren't quite legal. Two sons, one more uptight than the other, who like Sgt. Schultz knew NOTHING (at least that's how the movie portrays it). A brother who has some knowledge that Bernie's activities aren't what they should be, but is kept pretty much out of the picture.

Dreyfuss does a fantastic job. I might even say Emmy-worthy. Most of the time Bernie is quite charming and a good guy. He can get quite angry when pushed. Knowing investigators are this close to putting him away, he seems quite vulnerable. And this last part is shown quite effectively with rapid-fire editing. The sound stays consistent but we keep seeing the nightmare Bernie thinks is coming, or flashbacks, or whatever, in addition to what is happening now. And this editing technique is used several times.

Michael Rispoli is very good as the man in charge of the 17th floor. I should mention that the legitimate business operated from fabulous modern offices where everyone dressed for success on the 19th floor, where the employees included the brother and two sons. Mark resented that Frank got the promotion he deserved, but Bernie would not let his sons get mixed up in the illegal activities on the dark, depressing 17th floor where it was always Casual Friday.

Ben Dreyfuss effectively showed us a charming and ambitious but not particularly endearing young Bernie in flashbacks. He showed how Benrie learned to do what he did.

Blythe Danner is a loving, caring wife, until ... and then wait until you see what she's like. A very good job with a wide range of emotions.

Erin Cummings is impressive as the loyal secretary. She seems out of place with the New Yawk accent in these plush offices, but she is quite appealing.

Peter Scolari used to be so funny, but he's mostly serious here, which he has become good at in recent years. He really shows his ability when brother Peter's son gets very sick, and Peter starts feeling guilty about what he knows he has done wrong. And we have to go through the hard times with the family.

There are happy times with the family as well, which makes up for the difficulties.

But of course watching Bernie wine and dine and otherwise impress his billionaire clients (soon to be broke in some cases) is lots of fun. One of them is in West Palm Beach and the big band music in the scenes there is great.

Frank Whaley is the man who started the process of bringing down Bernie Madoff. Since some situations and people are fictional, we don't know if he's real or not, but it doesn't matter. He is a brilliant investigator who lacks people skills and is often quite nervous. People don't take him seriously, and even when they do, Bernie has the ability to talk himself out of the situation.

Or government officials are just morons. It doesn't matter. It's all quite entertaining. You want Bernie to win, but you know something is bound to happen.

And when it does, it really does. There goes that rapid-fire editing again, this time with the sound matching the visuals.

In one sequence the people are either real victims of Bernie Madoff or they are very good actors.

Also effective is the apparent use of real ABC News anchors reporting on the scandal.

Dreyfuss appeared on the TV screen during the closing credits, at least when I watched, to invite us to watch the real story coming up next, and to praise the talented actors and writers whose work we just saw, and I agree with him.

Like him or not, I think this movie is a winner.

Best when it focuses more on cons than family

[cherold · 7/10 · 3 April 2016]

Richard Dreyfuss gives a terrific performance as investment con man Bernie Madoff. He's an interesting character, dishonest to the core yet loyal and generous to his friends, although it's unclear whether he was genuinely generous or just interesting in keeping people loyal.

It's fascinating to see the long con and how it unravels, and infuriating and disturbing to watch a lone crusader spend fruitless years trying to convince an inept SEC to investigate one of the great financial criminal.

The great weakness of the film is that it overly focuses on Madoff's family, including an ungraceful attempt to use his family history of cancer as a symbol.

I understand wanting to show how Madoff's actions hurt his family, and the actors are fine, particularly Blythe Danner (still, surprisingly, sexy in her 70s), but what Madoff did hurt so many more people than his family, and while that is shown, it is overshadowed by the rather dull family stuff.

I feel the movie should have focused more on the crusader, or on the incompetence of the SEC. Or it could have just been pared down in length.

Still, it's a fascinating story and Dreyfuss is a perfect Madoff.

Madoff is magnificent

[afijamesy2k · 10/10 · 24 December 2016]

Out of all of the great TV shows, mini series and TV movies this year, this has got to be the best one this year bar none, Richard dreyfuss in one of the best performances since the goodbye girl back in the 70's, where he won a Oscar for that role, plays Bernie Madoff a man who was sentence to 150 years in prison for tax for running a Ponzi scheme, the teleplay is one of the best teleplays in recent TV history and the performances are all wonderful as always, the writing is crisp, the pacing is great and the editing is marvelous, it's a shame that he wasn't nominated for a emmy for his whole, because he should have been, nevertheless this is definitely the best TV of 2016 bar none I give it my highest rating A+

"Bernie Madoff With All Ma Money!!" :O :P

[MovieHoliks · 7/10 · 4 February 2016]

Wow; this is the closest thing I've seen to an ABC "movie of the week" in ages! I watched the first half of this two-part mini-series last night. The second half- "The Fall"- airs tonight. Oscar-winning screen legend, Richard Dreyfuss, plays the financial guru/con artist in this semi-biopic; but mostly covers the events leading up to, and tonight, following, his downfall. I saw a review online that said this movie almost makes you root for Bernie, and it does to an extent. It's actually quite humorous; although at times I get the feeling I'm laughing at parts that weren't meant to be funny-?? LOL Peter Scolari and Blythe Danner co-star.

Everything you want to see about Madoff

[phd_travel · 9/10 · 5 February 2016]

For a movie about Madoff the main thing is the story has to be linear, non confusing and thorough and this 2 part miniseries succeeds. It introduces enough characters one by one to show the major players in the scandal, how the business duped clients and how it came crashing down. It isn't too complicated so non finance people can roughly understand what happens. Madoff is made to be the narrator of the movie and it helps to make things clear. Victims, clients, whistle blowers, the SEC dropping the ball, and the perpetrators in Madoff's company are all shown. The look at what happened in Madoff's own family is quite fascinating. His wife kids brother niece are all shown to be unknowing victims. The tragic suicide of his son Mark is quite moving. Would have liked a bit more about the recovery of the stolen money at the end.

The acting is fine. With so much going on in the story the main thing is that they should resemble the real people sufficiently. Richard Dreyfuss looks enough like Madoff and his benign slightly jovial approach actually is quite right. It keeps things flowing and not too depressing. Blythe Danner is physically suited to the role of Ruth. The actors who play his sons are don't look like them much - not great casting there. The supporting cast are good too especially those who play his staff.

Will be interesting to compare to to the upcoming HBO movie with Robert DeNiro as Madoff.

There was a follow up ABC documentary with interviews called "Bernie Madoff after the fall" that aired after the end of part 2 that is worth watching.

Well Done Madoff TV Movie

[jeglerengaw · 9/10 · 5 February 2016]

An interesting story based on Bernie Madoff the so called wizard of Wall Street, well played by the entire cast, and informative of what people are willing to do acquiring your money, Madoff may have started out simply trying to impress his friends and family as they stated he had it all before the Ponzi affair, so either he did it and it spun out of control or he became wrapped up in the illusion of his vain wizardry, maybe both, in either case its sad people become so wrapped up and taken so easily by money, never satisfied with what they got, and need something to fill their void of unhappiness, don't pity the poor man, pity the fool, and delusional wizards, the domino effect of the fallout was a atrocity to all the victims, hopefully a lesson to save others in the Madoff's of the future.

Not enough of the greed or the aftermath is shown

[kjf2007-1 · 5/10 · 6 February 2016]

Considering that they drag this out over nearly 3 full hours you would think you'd see it all. Not nearly enough is shown of how the Madoffs lived high on the hog for decades. And far too much time is spent leading up to the eventual crash and not enough is shown of the aftermath. If Madoff had only preyed upon the filthy rich he would have been far more forgivable, but he took down quite a few smaller folks in his fall from grace. To my way of thinking, Mark Madoff comes off as less redeemable than his father even though Mark supposedly had no knowledge of the ponzi scheme. What sort of son disowns his own father over a white collar crime?

The great irony in this tale is that ALL of Wall Street is one huge ponzi scheme. The eventual collapse will one day make Madoff a forgotten footnote. It's the age old truth folks - if an investment seems too good to be true, it is.

Overall an entertaining movie best viewed at double speed. It was nice to see Richard Dreyfus and Charles Grodin again.

Excellent cautionary tale of dangerous sociopaths among us

[jeffyoung1 · 9/10 · 11 April 2018]

These reviews of the documentary mini-series, MADOFF, range from very good to excellent, with but a few average ones. Many of the people are perceptive and far-thinking in their evaluation of the mini-series, the character, Madoff, the real-life Madoff, and the true-life events around him. I am not going to repeat these great reviews.

My addition here is the cautionary tale of dangerous sociopaths among humanity. How do we spot them? What can we do? How can we protect ourselves?

The answer is that it's not simple. If sociopaths had not been able to hone their pathological lying skills to a fine edge, they wouldn't exist. The fact that they are successful so often underlies their evolutionary chameleon behavioral skills through the Darwinian process of evolution. Even highly intelligent people who have been rooked by Madoff-types beat themselves over the head for being, 'stupid' yet this self-criticism is largely undeserved. Successful con-man Madoff types evolved their slick-talking, smooth-talking sophistry and verbal deception with perfect bodily and facial cues to match to deceive people of high intelligence. After all, it's usually the very smart people who have the money.

Remember Lance Armstrong who so vociferously and compellingly denied his doping accusers that even I at first believed him that he was being set up by jealous peers. Remember infamous Susan Smith of 1993 who drowned her two boys in secret and then standing next to her ex-husband, sobbed and pleaded in front of the new cameras for the kidnapper to return her two, cherished, beloved young boys? One news source later dryly added that Smith should have been recommended for a Hollywood Oscar for her bravura performance.

I myself have personally witnessed a man who harbored a conscious, Jekyll and Hyde dual persona. To his employees he waved his finger in front of them, bellowed, accused them and demeaned them. To non-employees or potential clients, he portrayed an extremely convincing, soothing, Oprah or Dr. Phil personality as if he could be the best confidant that they could rely upon. He was extremely convincing. Such people are so convincing and they don't emit otherwise negative vibes that might alert the listener that something is amiss.

What can you do? Be cautious and do your homework when the promises seem too good to be true. In the case of Madoff, a Wall Street analyst, nearly two years before Madoff's downfall, did suspect that there was something unconvincing about Madoff's investment business model. He ran the complicated math algorithms several times and every time he came up with the same result: Madoff's investment business model could not logically produce the investment gain results that he was publishing. There would have to be an external infusion of funds from outside the business model to make the results plausible. But he was a lone voice in the wilderness. He was a nobody on Wall Street and he had no powerful Wall Street support that could take his results and confront a powerful man that Madoff was at the time. As one imdb poster added, Madoff's white-collar crime actions had ripple effects and domino effects that affected many other people, often innocent. It was his own two sons that contributed to turning Madoff in and cooperated with the SEC and I believe also the FBI, but am not sure. Both men were cleared of being complicit with their father although one did get into some trouble for unknowing helping his father in the Ponzi schemes, but he didn't go to jail. Yet both sons suffered terribly. From well-respected, well-to-do men who once were afforded high social positions in the highest social and economic strata of the rich and powerful in Manhattan, New York City, they found themselves overnight as unemployed, unemployable, social outcasts and pariahs. The health of the eldest son deteriorated and he passed away. The youngest son, at the young age of only 44, separated from his wife, one afternoon went to visit his young son. As the son napped in his bedroom, the father hung himself in the living room. I have no doubt in my mind the father succumbed to the blackest despair that his life was truly over and irretrievable, leading him, in the old term, to, "...take the honorable way out." I don't know if he was even mourned at his funeral.

In summary, it is very, very difficult to spot and deal with sociopaths. Often there are, 'functioning sociopaths' who reach high positions in companies, corporations, organizations, the government, even the military. They know who to flatter and how to do flatter while attaching themselves to rising stars. They might be apparent in this overt fashion but their game is good because the people they flatter are convinced the sociopathic flatterer is one of the best talented extroverted people they've ever met. It's one thing to avoid a dangerous sociopath who might harbor intentions of physical harm on you and it's another thing to cope with a functioning sociopath who desires advancement by flattering you, or, if you are not in a position to help him or her, then you are either a nothing to them or worse, a possible competitor. The sociopath's superior lying skills often work successfully in undermining the good, honest employee because the people he or she flatter are convinced he or she is telling the truth.

Lastly, I will comment on Madoff that I agree with one poster, Madoff did have sincere feelings of affection and camaraderie with friends, family, and close associates. Sociopaths can and do feel genuine affection to some. In the mini-series Madoff covertly expresses his desire to protect his secretary by declining several times to invest her $200,000 inheritance. He can't reveal the truth to her so he can only shine her on with unconvincing advice which leads the secretary to press him even more, finally accusing Madoff of lacking loyalty and true friendship to her. If I recall, she's even on the brink of tears, baffled as to why her long-term, affectionate employer that she faithfully served for years should not want to take her measly $200K, invest it and make her a millionaire as he's done for so many people. Realizing his secretary has pushed him up against a wall, Madoff realizes it is safer to give in and take her money rather than continue refusing. I felt a lot of sympathy for the secretary. How could she have even suspected that she was literally pouring what could have been a huge chunk of her retirement down the drain, never to be recovered.

Great movie. Madoff as scapegoat for a corrupt system.

[PWNYCNY · 10/10 · 1 September 2017]

This series chronicles a tragedy. A man who is flawed invites disaster to others, and especially to his family. Bernard Madoff did not start out as swindler, but became one. To the movie's credit, it offers a candid and plausible portrayal of the disaster that became Bernard Madoff's life. One comes away from this movie asking: How could he have gotten away with it for so long? Madoff didn't make any special efforts to conceal his activities. He banked the money in a major bank, was audited by government agencies, and his clients were sophisticated investors. Yet, it was only after being turned in by his own sons that the Madoff swindle finally stopped. Richard Dreyfus gives one of the great performances of his career as Bernard Madoff, and Blythe Danner is equally convincing as Ruth. The movie avoids demonizing Madoff, instead portraying him as someone caught up in a process that he could not stop. He knew what he was doing was wrong and kept doing it anyway, as long as he could get away with it. It's what happens when his world begins to crumble that provides the drama and the lessons. As the movie shows, Madoff was not operating in a vacuum. He was operating in the open. As long as his customers and enablers were profiting, no questions were asked. It was only after the scheme collapses and people are losing money that Madoff gets in trouble. And for that, he paid the price.

Dreyfus carries Madoff

[littlebytesawards · 10/10 · 6 June 2016]

Good movie that moves between the real life case against Bernie Madoff the father of the largest Ponzi scheme in history, and the movie. Catch the acting in this well done movie, but none better than that of Richard Dreyfus playing Bernie Madoff. Mr. Dreyfus came out of retirement to play the part and a great job he does, becoming the sociopath Madoff. But that is not to say the rest of the cast is not up to the job. Honorable Mention behind Mr. Dreyfus is Blythe Danner as Ruth Madoff. She not only looks the part, but her acting is so well done one begins to believe she is Mrs. Madoff, given the fast pace of the movie and real video footage from the financial crisis. Usually a made for TV movie means some mediocre acting and sometimes substandard writing, but not this time!!! Catch this one and watch Mr. Dreyfus, an Academy Award winning actor, at his very best.

***

[edwagreen · 8/10 · 5 February 2016]

More screen time needed to be given to the victims in this tale of embezzlement via the Ponzi scheme method.

Richard Dreyfuss give wonderful performances as Bernie and Ruthie Madoff. While they're living the life of glamor, there is something about them that even when the good times prevailed, they were down to earth. Danner often comes across of the Jewish wife seeking status with that drink in her hand.

Madoff could have probably continued to get away with defrauding so many investors had it not been for the economic downturn of 2008.

The first part of the show would have required a degree in advanced economics from the viewers. Quantitative analysis is not exactly the most exciting thing to show on screen.

Other than those dedicated investors who lost their shirts from Bernie, the family suffered a great deal as well as shown.

Great production values for a mini-series

[bahaz-440-352871 · 8/10 · 13 February 2016]

Expect a couple of Emmys for "Madoff", about as classy as it gets in the Mini-Series category. We all knew the story as the film unfolded the story in the background and the people in the foreground. This was a 10 had it not been for the loud music over the dialogue and the fact that Dreyfus is just hard to watch, his name being in the dictionary next to "typecasting." The story built nicely with the characters increasing the intensity as it moved along, the second half very noticeably stronger than the first half, which was, obviously, strong enough to invite viewers back. After the first half, in a coincidence one just couldn't invent, I watched Dreyfus being interviewed on Fox News Channel by Megyn Kelly. Yes, Fox News Channel. This goes back to the typecasting comment as, after having seen him live, being asked why he attended a Senator Ted Cruz event and hearing him mumble a few derogatory comments, Dreyfus proved he is not a very pleasant fellow. Not, in fact, nearly as nice as Bernie Madoff.

Interesting dramatization but narration ruins it.

[rogerdob · 4/10 · 9 November 2021]

It is interesting to see all the Madoff news events come to life with a group of talented performers...Blythe Danner is especially effetive as Madoffs wife. However, the movie is narrated by the Bernie Madoff character. He is telling us, the viewers, what he is thinking all the time. Unless he was a consultant for this film, the writers had no business interpreting what was going through his mind during his evil actions. I think they gave him a little more sympathy than he deserved.