Madoff

Madoff casts Richard Dreyfuss as the reviled title figure, a slick financier who was eventually revealed to have bilked over $50 billion from his various investors. Stretched over two nights (or a 165 minute running time), Madoff is clearly much, much longer than it needs or has any right to be and yet the movie remains surprisingly watchable from start to finish – with the film’s mild success due almost entirely to Dreyfuss’ consistently captivating turn as Bernie Madoff. (It doesn’t hurt, either, that the supporting cast has been filled with talented performers, including Frank Whaley, Peter Scolari, Michael Rispoli, and Charles Grodin.) It’s ultimately clear, however, that one of Madoff‘s most egregious failings is its inability to effectively explain its more complicated story elements, with scripter Ben Robbins’ lackluster efforts at clearly spelling out exactly how Madoff’s scheme worked compounded by his less-than-successful efforts at getting inside the central character’s head (ie what, for example, was Madoff’s endgame with this convoluted scam?) Madoff, in the end, stands as a fairly decent primer into the life of an obviously complicated individual, with the movie, buoyed by Raymond De Felitta’s solid direction and a smattering of top-notch performances, often faring better than one might’ve anticipated for a made-for-television production.

**1/2 out of ****