The Laundromat (2019)

A widow investigates an insurance fraud, chasing leads to a pair of Panama City law partners exploiting the world's financial system.

Director:

Steven Soderbergh

Writers:

Jake Bernstein (book), Scott Z. Burns (screenplay)

Stars:

Gary Oldman, Antonio Banderas, AJ Meijer

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gary Oldman	...	Jürgen Mossack
Antonio Banderas	...	Ramón Fonseca
AJ Meijer	...	Hominid #1
Arsenio Castellanos	...	Hominid #2
Lucy Morningstar	...	Hominid #3
Meryl Streep	...	Ellen Martin
James Cromwell	...	Joe Martin
Jeff Michalski	...	Norm Sidley
Jane Morris	...	Barb Sidley
Robert Patrick	...	Captain Paris
Chris McLaughlin	...	First Mate
Jay Paulson	...	Pastor Conners
Melissa Rauch	...	Melanie
Juliet Donenfeld	...	Thalia
Brock Brenner	...	Kaylen

Storyline

When her idyllic vacation takes an unthinkable turn, Ellen Martin (Meryl Streep) begins investigating a fake insurance policy, only to find herself down a rabbit hole of questionable dealings that can be linked to a Panama City law firm and its vested interest in helping the world's wealthiest citizens amass larger fortunes. Founding partners Jürgen Mossack (Gary Oldman) and Ramón Fonseca (Antonio Banderas) are experts in the seductive ways shell companies and offshore accounts help the rich and powerful prosper. They are about to show us that Ellen's predicament only hints at the tax evasion, bribery and other illicit absurdities that the super wealthy indulge in to support the world's corrupt financial system. Zipping through a kaleidoscope of detours in China, Mexico, Africa (via Los Angeles) and the Caribbean en route to 2016's Panama Papers publication - where journalists leaked the secret, encrypted documents of Mossack Fonseca's high-profile patrons - THE LAUNDROMAT's ensemble ...

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Plot Keywords:

greed | mossack fonseca scandal | panama papers scandal | flamboyant villain | evil banker | 

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Taglines:

Based on actual secrets

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some sexual content and disturbing images

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

Russian English Mandarin Spanish

Release Date:

27 September 2019 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Laundromat

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Anonymous Content, Grey Matter Productions, Netflix

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78:1/2.35:1 (China segment)

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is Antonio Banderas and Robert Patrick's first collaboration since Spy Kids (2001).

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Quotes

[first lines]
Ramón Fonseca: First of all, there are some things you should know before we begin. For instance, we are real people, just like you. Secondly, we did not write a word of this. To be perfectly frank, we would have preferred all of this remain a secret. But we had no choice in the matter. We just woke up one day and everything changed. There were stories about us everywhere: TV, newspapers, and the internet.
Ramón Fonseca: And now it is our turn to tell a few stories. Think of them as fairy tales that actually ...
[...]

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Connections

Featured in CTV News at Noon Toronto: Episode dated 9 September 2019 (2019)

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Soundtracks

Charles and Astrid
Written by David Holmes and Petra Haden
Vocal Arrangement and Lead Vocals: Petra Haden
Male Vocals: Rene Ruiz

User Reviews

Between the lines

Soderbergh delivers again. This is a powerful, lighthearted and soul crushing film about corruption. You'll walk away with a spring in your step unless you think about the real message.

What about beyond the movie? Who are the winners and losers from the Panama Papers? How did the media react to one of their own like Emma Watson? Was she (and other respected media talking-heads) truly scrutinized by the media?

The performances of Streep, Oldman and Banderas were all superb. Every performance in this movie was excellent.

Rotten Tomatoes gives this film a rating of 43% ... From the same industry that protects the Emma Watsons of this world, the negative reviews are coming in hot. However, that might just be a coincidence.