by Daniel Johnson

Created on: November 08, 2007

THE HOAX (Dir. Lasse Hallstrm , 2006) Definitely the best Richard Gere film in like...forever! Yeah, I know I played that hand already above but it's really true. In this tasty tale of a man who lies his way into a major book deal Gere has just the right spin. The man was struggling novelist Clifford Irving and the lie was that he fabricated a book of interviews with Howard Hughes. Hughes had been reclusive and completely out of the public eye for well over a decade so Irving and partner Richard Suskind (Alfred Molina) speculate he would not come forward to denounce the project. They also figure that Hughes denies everything anyway so how could they go wrong? The how is a huge part of the fun as is Gere and Molina's camaradarie. Well cast as well - Marcia Gay Harden as Irving's exasperated wife and Julie Delphy as actress Nina Van Pallandt as his mistress. THE HOAX takes some truthiness liberties that at times turn towards the surreal - like the people at MacGraw Hill that Irving pitches to - we don't know what to believe at times especially when supposed Hughes' hired goons show up at Irving's door. These fatanstical touches though are carried off in a more successful manner than in George Clooney's CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND - a likewise questionable adaptation of 'real' events. Irving is credited as "technical advisor" on this film but reportedly he disowns it and has denied its accuracy. He really should get over himself! This may be the best thing he's ever had anything to do with.

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