Incannerax
What a waste of my time!!!
Lollivan
It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
Guillelmina
The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
Eric (eric-1268)
Well, what a huge disappointment that was. "A look at how one investigator spent ten years trying to expose Bernie Madoff's massive Ponzi scheme."Too bad this one investor, Harry Markopolos, turns out to be one of the most uninteresting people alive. I was looking forward to get detailed information on Madoff, but unfortunately I got to see Markopolos parents, school, church, his extreme paranoia about getting killed and loads of other information I didn't care about.The information in this documentary could have been cut to +/- 30 minutes without all of the useless stuff. It's a shame, because this documentary could have been really great if it would provide more information about Madoff himself.
Larry Silverstein
This documentary, written and directed by Jeff Prosserman, is an absolutely scathing indictment of the SEC, our Federal Gov't, and Wall Street. I remember when the Madoff fraud came to light, amidst the world financial crisis, seeing Harry Markopolos testifying before Congress, and giving other interviews. I was incredulous at first, that his man had tipped off the SEC about Madoff many years before and that no action was taken. However, as the truth and the facts have emerged, I now believe every last scintilla of what he said.How is this possible? The SEC, whose primary role is to investigate fraud in the financial industry and make sure the players in the financial world are playing by the rules, did nothing to expose a multi-billion dollar fraud. They couldn't even make a few phone calls, as Markopolos states, which would have easily exposed that their alleged trades were never done.You see in the film, several members of Congress, grilling present and former SEC execs and auditors, and asking the same question. None of them had any answers. Yet, now years later there have been very few arrests and indictments not only regarding the Madoff case but for any of the fraudsters involved in the world banking crisis. So, one may ask have we really learned our lesson? The documentary is kind of a strange one because it can really be melodramatic as Markopolos recounts all the events that occurred regarding Madoff. He may even seem a little paranoid at times, as he worries about his, and his family's safety, as a prime whistleblower. My personal opinion is that he had reason to worry, as strange beatings, threats, and deaths have occurred to some who put themselves out there like that.To me, in summary, this is a scary piece of film, which highlights how embedded the elite are in running our financial systems. Is it any wonder that the Occupy Wall Street messages caught on like wildfire for awhile. The 1% almost always run the show at the expense of the rest of us 99%er's
jotix100
Harry Markopolos, the man at the center of this documentary, had no clue into what he was about to embark, when his friend, Frank Casey, asked him to check the numbers in a firm that was the 'star' of the investment world. Mr. Casey's intention was to be able to comprehend the success of a powerful man in New York, one Bernard Madoff. It only took Harry five minutes to realize he was looking at the largest fraud perpetrated in the financial annals of the world.The documentary "Chasing Madoff"', conceived by its director, Jeff Prosserman, and based on the book written by Mr. Markopolos, while trying to clarify the way Mr. Madoff was able to fool everyone, is a dull piece of movie-making. The style the director uses does not add anything to the story that has been told and retold after the scandal broke in 2008. Mr. Markopolos and the other principals keep repeating themselves while the main villain of the story, Bernard Madoff is only a passing thought. Harry Markopolos had reasons to believe his life would be in danger. He became paranoid, expecting his death, or the harming to his family. His reports to the SEC went directly to the waste basket, so he should not have worried unnecessarily. The best thing in the documentary is the appearance of Congressman Gary Ackerman questioning the big shots of the SEC, the people who should have detected the fraud and sat idly by.
Jane Flagery
Absolute debauchery with a totally dated perspective. One of the biggest scandals that dictated part of the zeitgeist of the early 2000's and the director saw it through an amateur 1990's lens. Corny, overdone and trying way too hard - a 16 year old with an iphone could've made a better film. Jeff Prosserman's choices in everything from the cliché camera angles, over-dramatized music composition, corny stock footage (obviously used to fill in missing holes) are clear indicators that yet again, we have another overgrown kid playing with daddy's money. I can only imagine the grueling process the EP's & crew had to bear to get this thing made. It's amazing how these movies get made without anybody saying, "Wait, really? We're putting this out there??" and how much money goes down the drain while doing so. Mainly though, I wish Prosserman could give me my wasted 90 minutes back.
