We have a quirky legal system. If you kill someone, you might get 12 years, but if you defraud a large group of people, but much more importantly, make the government look foolish, you might get 150 years: Because the government cannot be made to look foolish. In Barry Levinson's film, it is quite clear that our Bernie is a sociopath.
There are several telling scenes: His lack of a reaction to 9/11, as he keeps working as the towers fall; his acceptance of his Sister-in-Law's remaining savings as he knows his fund is going down the tubes; his comment to the journalist that his investors shared in the blame. There are some compelling scenes: Madoff, played by Robert DeNiro, and his wife, played by Michelle Pfeiffer, decide to commit suicide-unsuccessfully- while Judy Garland is shown singing 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas from 'Meet Me In St. Louis', and in the haze brought about by the sleeping pills, Madoff is taken on an Ebenezer Scrooge accounting of his life and deeds; Madoff, at a Thanksgiving party at their Palm Beach estate, is frantically trying to juggle phone calls as he tries to lure new investors, all to the frenetic beat of the drum by the band at the party; one of his sons, played by Alessandro Nivola, is suffering a total meltdown, prior to committing suicide, and is frantically calling his brother, who has stopped taking his calls, and leaving desperate and increasingly unhinged messages.
DeNiro does some of his best latterly work herein, without his usual array of ticks, mannerisms and kabuki faces. It is an understated performance that is very powerful. Pfeiffer is terrific as the clueless wife with the thick Long Island accent, who nonetheless manages to find an inner strength and some purpose to her life. Madoff's weak sons are ably and sympathetically portrayed by Nivola and Nathan Darrow. Once again, with Levinson, we see a totally unwarranted respect for a ravenous pack of media, including the despicable Joy Behar in a cameo.
There are several telling scenes: His lack of a reaction to 9/11, as he keeps working as the towers fall; his acceptance of his Sister-in-Law's remaining savings as he knows his fund is going down the tubes; his comment to the journalist that his investors shared in the blame. There are some compelling scenes: Madoff, played by Robert DeNiro, and his wife, played by Michelle Pfeiffer, decide to commit suicide-unsuccessfully- while Judy Garland is shown singing 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas from 'Meet Me In St. Louis', and in the haze brought about by the sleeping pills, Madoff is taken on an Ebenezer Scrooge accounting of his life and deeds; Madoff, at a Thanksgiving party at their Palm Beach estate, is frantically trying to juggle phone calls as he tries to lure new investors, all to the frenetic beat of the drum by the band at the party; one of his sons, played by Alessandro Nivola, is suffering a total meltdown, prior to committing suicide, and is frantically calling his brother, who has stopped taking his calls, and leaving desperate and increasingly unhinged messages.
DeNiro does some of his best latterly work herein, without his usual array of ticks, mannerisms and kabuki faces. It is an understated performance that is very powerful. Pfeiffer is terrific as the clueless wife with the thick Long Island accent, who nonetheless manages to find an inner strength and some purpose to her life. Madoff's weak sons are ably and sympathetically portrayed by Nivola and Nathan Darrow. Once again, with Levinson, we see a totally unwarranted respect for a ravenous pack of media, including the despicable Joy Behar in a cameo.