When he’s not terrifying the publishers into thinking Hughes is going to back out of the project, he’s in his garage slowly becoming obsessed with the man he’s never even met. He dresses like him, even donning a fake mustache, as he conducts fake interviews with himself as the billionaire. He rekindles an old flame with a very beautiful, very shallow woman named Nina Van Pallandt (Julie Delpy), damaging his relationship with Edith; and simultaneously alienates his best friend and partner in crime. Beginning to believe he is truly “the spokesperson for the lunatic hermit,” he starts to lose his mind while believing his own lies, which become more and more extreme as the story develops. Eventually Clifford jeopardizes his wife’s freedom, and even comes across documents that could be substantial evidence to one of the biggest presidential scandals in the history of the United States.

The atmosphere of the country in the 1970’s is shot documentary style, while the scenes in which Irving invents his encounters with Hughes have a comical, dreamy quality. However as Clifford Irving’s mental stability begins to deteriorate, the movie grows significantly darker.

Much of the exaggerated story is exaggerated in the film, yet the whole thing is so outrageous to begin with that it doesn’t seem like a stretch. Richard Gere is at his absolute best as the charming, quick-witted Irving, while Alfred Molina is the perfect compliment as the nervous, rambling Dick Sussland. Marcia Gay Harden is subtle, and extremely believable as the resilient wife, and Stanley Tucci and Hope Davis are perfect as the cutthroat publishers.

With a superb cast and a fun story, The Hoax has you rooting for the “bad guy” all the way. With a main character slightly reminiscent of Leonardo DiCaprio in Catch Me if You Can, the film will please those of us who rooted for Elmer Fudd…except in this case (and in DiCaprio’s) the bad guy we like, although we shouldn’t, is slightly better looking.

Directed by Lasse Hallström, with a screenplay William Wheeler adapted from the novel by Clifford Irving, The Hoax does not disappoint.

Movie Grade: A-

Synopsis:

Richard Gere plays Clifford Irving, the man who wrote and sold a bogus biography of Howard Hughes to McGraw-Hill.