‘The Wizard of Lies’: Tale of Unique Real-Life Criminal by Robert De Niro
Because of his illustrious career, Robert De Niro has had the opportunity to work with some of Hollywood’s top directors, such as Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, and Brian De Palma. ‘Sleepers’ and ‘Wag the Dog’, both helmed by Barry Levinson, are two of his lesser-known yet highly acclaimed works. ‘The Wizard of Lies’, a compelling biopic about Bernie Madoff, the mastermind behind the biggest financial scam in American history, brought Levinson and De Niro back together, despite the fact that Levinson’s career had recently gravitated toward prestige television. Madoff is portrayed by De Niro with calculating coolness and uncanny realism in a terrifying performance.
‘The Wizard of Lies’ adopts a nonlinear style in contrast to conventional criminal dramas, contrasting Madoff’s spectacular ascent on Wall Street with his precipitous decline. His arrest at the beginning of the movie reveals how his Ponzi scheme failed amid the 2008 financial crisis. His wife Ruth (Michelle Pfeiffer) and kids Mark (Alessandro Nivola) and Andrew (Nathan Darrow) gradually come to understand the extent of his deceit as investigators close in.
Image Courtesy: IMDb
In addition to Madoff’s financial trickery, the movie emphasizes his emotional distance, especially his lack of regret for the victims—including his own family.
De Niro’s performance of Madoff is quiet yet eerie, in contrast to his previous villains in ‘Raging Bull’ and ‘Cape Fear’. He portrays a man whose charm and haughtiness allowed him to avoid attention for decades, rather as a persona that is explicitly frightening. The movie explores the subtleties of his deception, demonstrating how his charm, connections in the government, and influence protected him from responsibility. But it also makes the collateral damage—his sons, particularly Mark, who bears the burden of his father’s transgressions—more relatable.
‘The Wizard of Lies’, a compelling and unnerving depiction of white-collar criminality.
–Farheen Ali
