The Wizard Of Lies

Legendary actors from Hollywood, is something i really appreciate, no matter what kinds of films they show up in. The old school actors, are those kinds of actors you know can make characters become magical. They know how to make their performances very special. I could easily make a long list of legendary actors in here, but i choose to make it more simple. Let us talk about one of the biggest Hollywood actors since the early 70´s, of course i am talking about Robert De Niro. What a fantastic actor he is. Just remember his classics The Godfather Part 2, Taxi Driver, The Deer Hunter, The King Of Comedy, Godfellas, i could go on forever. De Niro have made a huge impact in the world of cinema. When i was a kid in the 80´s, i remember seeing Taxi Driver for the first time on VHS. I was instantly hooked up. This is one of the masterpieces in cinema history, by legendary director Martin Scorsese. If you have not seen Taxi Driver, you have to see this film. Why ? Because it is one of the best films ever made, and Robert De Niro as the insane Taxi Driver is simply outstanding. Over so many years, De Niro have kept working with films in all genres. He have never been afraid to tried different genres, and that is a good sign Some films have been alright, while some films in recent years have not been very interesting. There is one film i think we should mention, a smaller film called Everybody´s Fine by director Kirk Jones. A drama comedy, where Robert De Niro did one of his better performances in many years, as the lonesome retired Frank Goode, who travels across America to see his children, now all adults. A film with a great cast of Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale and Sam Rockwell. I have tried to see most of the films that De Niro have released in recent years, but very few have been interesting. It is like he have not found the right project. How many of you saw him and Zac Efron in Bad Grandpa ? One example where De Niro made a bad choice, obviously he did that film for the money. Around late spring time this year, i started reading some positive feedback on an HBO film called The Wizard Of Lies. This turns out to be a new film, where Robert De Niro plays the American fraudster Bernie Madoff. This sounded very interesting, especially when it seemed that De Niro actually doing a good performance again. I got a chance to watch the film on HBO Play, just to see if this would be a positive surprise. Is De Niro finally making his way back to the acting level we all love to see him do, or is this another downfall for a legendary actor, where we have lost all hope ?

Bernie Madoff ( Robert De Niro ) is the chairman of the Wall Street firm Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LCC. He lives a very luxury life style with his beloved wife Ruth Madoff ( Michelle Pfeiffer ), and constantly making sure that he makes a lot of money from different investments. But then tragedy strikes, when the 2008 bank collapse hits hard all over the world. To save his company, Bernie makes any attempt to get clients to give him money, before his whole career collapse. No matter what happens, he refuse to give up the fight. But when the truth comes out, what Bernie have been doing, his whole life is destroyed. The life he once had, have all faded away. Will he ever be forgiven, especially from his own family ?

Since i have heard all the positive reviews on The Wizard Of Lies, i knew that this could be something good. I could easily say, this is the best film i have seen Robert De Niro do since.....Cop Land in 1997 ? That is 20 years, so you understand that he is back on top again. He have made a few good films between 1997 and until 2017, but it is very clear that The Wizard Of Lies is his most powerful performance in a very long time. The way he capture the look, the facial expressions, and emotions of former stockbroker, investment advisor Bernie Madoff. This is a very disturbing story, and to know that he actually stole 68,4 billion U.S. Dollars is just completely insane. The film basically tell the story before he gets busted, and you learn how he tricked so many investors to pay him, when you know everything is going straight to hell. Another thing we need to mention, is how amazing good actor Michelle Pfeiffer is in this film, as Bernie´s wife Ruth. I can´t remember when i saw her acting this good, and this is why she is one of the highlights of this film, especially in the scenes with De Niro. These 2 actors together on screen is a perfect match. Knowing that this film is directed by legendary director Barry Levinson, makes me feel very happy. He have made some really good films in the past ( especially the HBO film You Don´t Know Jack with a brilliant performance by Al Pacino ). It feels like director Barry Levinson have found the right tone, for a film to be based on a real event. He digs into the world of Wall Street, where you see how manipulated people can become when serious problems become obvious. The film also manage to show what happens, when your comfortable world of luxury, just falls apart and you are left with nothing. I also think it is very interesting, that the film shows interviews with De Niro, where he tries to speak from the mind of Bernie, to explain how he see things, from his perspective. It would be impossible to understand, how it is to handle a situation like Bernie Madoff did. How could he take so much money, and don´t care about the consequences ? Obviously, he thinks more about saving himself, even if it means he makes more problems on the surface. The Wizard Of Lies is a very well written drama film from HBO Films, and one of the best drama films i have seen this year. The acting is on a top quality level, and the dialogue is really good. If Robert De Niro does not win any award for best actor in this film, on upcoming film festivals, something is seriously wrong. I say you have to see The Wizard Of Lies, and i can guarantee that you will not leave your seat. Welcome back De Niro, finally you proved to the world that you are back on track.

Rating: DDDD