‘Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street’ Review: Ponzi Scheme of a Sociopath

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Review: Extensive interviews and dream-like re-enactments combine to tell the story of the $65 billion Bernie Madoff scandal in 'Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street,' Joe Berlinger’s captivating four-part documentary on Netflix

December 27, 2022

It’s certainly not violence that makes the Madoff story magnetic, although the death toll does begin to resemble the post-heist body count in “Goodfellas” after Madoff’s nearly $65 billion rip-off goes belly up in 2008. Our native fascination with tragedy and skullduggery is made even more irresistible by the idea of an empathy-free human, one who could live such an enormous lie for so long, victims be damned, while presumably still sleeping at night.

Among Mr. Berlinger’s accomplishments in “The Monster of Wall Street” is not making the Madoff story remotely romantic, or even a parable, while at the same time putting blood in its veins. This he does partly by having actors play the lead characters in re-creations while giving them no lines; they exist in a gauzy, icy space, a kind of dream state, especially if the dream involves someone standing on a precipice.

That Madoff is referred to as a “scapegoat” for the financial crisis of ’08 is ironic, given how deeply Mr. Berlinger digs into the ethnic angle of the Madoff scam. He even interviews the Palm Beach rabbi Leonid Feldman, who weighs in on how Madoff used his membership at the Palm Beach Country Club to target trusting fellow Jews as investors, one of the uglier aspects of the Madoff tale.

“The Monster of Wall Street” will be, to no one’s surprise, a complex series and downbeat story, but one that is told with enormous style and narrative energy. There are quite a few likably chagrined people among the cast—those who worked in the Madoff offices at the “lipstick building” on Third Avenue in Manhattan. Several who weigh in have written what amounts to the historical record on Madoff, including Jim Campbell and Diana Henriques .

 

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NETFLIX calls it a “monster” already tainting viewers' opinion. Keep in mind all these people who invested with him didn't care where the money was coming from 😉 as long as they got their share & that they were getting it until GOV intervene & fuck it up for all. Just saying

Antisemites here! Please refrain from commenting!

What I really want to know is if there are any investigative journalists who are keeping tabs on the SEC? Feeder funds weren’t charged. JP MORGAN CHASE HAS PLEAD GUILTY TO 5 MASSIVE CRIMINAL CONSPIRACIES!!!! They just pay a fine and then return to business as usual. WTF 🤬

Look how at the end all of it in a couple of years came down for him what goes around comes around and it all happens in your lifetime madeoff

Even though I've seen other shows and read just about everything, absolutely binged this and learned more and more. So well done. Methodical storytelling that finally answered many questions for me.

Looks a lot like KG from C.

2011: The Madoff family speaks to 60 Minutes via YouTube

Bernie Madoff - His Life And Crimes (CNBC Documentaries - Part 1) via YouTube

There are tons of these shizters.

Reading so many people shocked after watching madoff documentary. Meanwhile Ken Griffin currently running ponzi 10x the size of Madoffs and everyone looking the other way again. CitadelScandal KenGriffinLiedUnderOath sec GaryGensler NewYorkFBI CivilRights BernieMadoff

Be worth mentioning he only got caught once the wrong people started losing money. SEC was aware of him for years..

I have zero interest in this.

The Wolf of Wall Street will end up being a better movie

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