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In 2008, stockbroker, investment adviser and financier Bernie Madoff made headlines around the world when he was arrested for defrauding his clients of billions of dollars.
"Lies" certainly isn't a cinematic shoulder rub, with director Barry Levinson attempting to understand the psychological and technical details of the scheme.
What Wizard of Lies lacks in terms of a broader historical span is compensated for by telling Madoff's tale as a classical tragedy about hubris and human cost - only in this case we watch as the villain's wife and children take the brunt of the toll.
As Ruth, Pfeiffer convincingly portrays a pampered woman left with utterly nothing - she's lost her homes, status and, most important, her relationship with her sons.
Ultimately, however, the movie disappoints...Even with the heartbreak, the Madoffs don't quite make for sympathetic characters. Their riches, privilege, and apparent obliviousness to Bernie's epic deceit prove too much to get past.
The Wizard of Lies is a movie with a terrible name and some mediocre aspects. But great central performances from two icons of the silver screen make it necessary watching.