The Wizard of Lies

A biographical drama based on true events, directed by Barry Levinson and released in 2017. The film centers on Bernard Madoff (Robert De Niro), a prominent New York financier who orchestrated the largest Ponzi scheme in U.S. history. As a respected figure on Wall Street, Madoff lived a double life, deceiving thousands of investors, close friends, and even his own family. Much of the story takes place after his arrest, when he recounts his version of events to a journalist, revealing the inner workings of his fraudulent empire through flashbacks. A significant part of the film focuses on his wife Ruth (Michelle Pfeiffer), who faces the collapse of her reality and the devastation of her family, as well as their sons Mark (Alessandro Nivola) and Andrew (Nathan Darrow), who are emotionally destroyed by the discovery of their father's crimes. The film explores complex moral questions, the collapse of trust, the impact of greed, and the devastating cost borne not only by victims, but by the loved ones of the perpetrator.