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"The Hoax" puts on a convincing show |
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Written by MICHAEL JAMES ALLEN
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Friday, 06 April 2007 |
There is something indelibly entertaining about lies and the liars who tell them. Lying is, after all, a skill like any other and, while we might frown at fibbers from a moral stance, we are nevertheless impressed at the lengths they may go to create their own unique "truths." There have been a few decent movies about liars, the last great one being 2002's "Catch Me If You Can," which detailed a man who conned his way into becoming a pilot, a lawyer, and a doctor. I bring this movie up solely because the new film, "The Hoax," desperately wants to be it. I don't mean this negatively; there are worse goals than aspiring to be a Spielberg film. It's just that "Catch Me If You Can" was told in a light and jaunty tone, a mood that this film tries to duplicate. And, while it's not quite as successful, it has a lot of fun along the way.
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"The Hoax"
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 Entertainment
 Art
Directed by Lasse Hallstrom
Written by William Wheeler, Based on the book by Clifford Irving
Starring Richard Gere, Alfred Molina, and Marcia Gay Harden
Rated R for sexual content, nudity, and language
Released April 6, 2007
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The story behind "The Hoax" is a hoax. Well, duh. Clifford Irving (Richard Gere) is a down-and-out writer anxious to get a little "creative success" (read: cash). Teaming up with his researcher/friend, Dick Susskind (a likable Alfred Molina), Irving convinces the bigwigs at McGraw-Hill Publishing that he is co-writing the autobiography of lunatic billionaire, Howard Hughes. At this time (the early '70's), Hughes has become an infamous hermit, and publishers are desperate to get a hold of Irving's book, a guaranteed best-seller. Irving is, of course, not writing the autobiography--he's never even met Hughes--and so his plan involves lies upon lies. It's insane the lengths Irving goes in order to keep this charade alive (forged letters from Hughes and an elaborate helicopter display are but two of his methods) and the fact that this is all supposedly based on a true story makes it all the more ridiculous.
Throughout it all, the film maintains a spry sense of humor, best represented by how the lies are portrayed: Director Lasse Hallstrom does a great job of making them visual, often taking snippets of the real events, just simple flashes of movement or dialogue, and tweaking them ever so slightly to show where Irving's deceit is springing from. It's a lot of fun to watch, and keeps such a story-heavy film as this from getting sluggish.
If "The Hoax" has one major flaw, though, it's Clifford Irving himself. Simply put, he's a scumbag. "Catch Me If You Can" worked so well because you could sympathize with the con man at its core. Irving, however, is portrayed with no sympathy or redemption, represented only as a man compulsively in love with the fiction he creates. It's an interesting characterization to be sure, and credit should be given to Gere for making it as charming as possible, but ultimately, it serves as a void and gives the audience no one to really root for.
But despite this, the film tells an interesting story and never forgets to keep things light. There has been a lot of talk (mainly from the real Clifford Irving) that the movie takes a lot of dramatic liberties, stretching the truth for the sake of drama. I think we're meant to be upset at this but, if this is the case, then I honestly can't imagine anything more fitting. "The Hoax" is definitely one lie worth telling. |
Hot Fuzz
Written by Guest on 2007-04-15 12:20:05
"What the matter Danny? You've never taken a short cut before?" |
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Other Recent Articles by MICHAEL JAMES ALLEN:The Top Ten Movies of 2007An Interview with Diablo Cody and Ellen Page of “Juno”An Interview with “The Savages” director, Tamara JenkinsBang! Kapow! BOOM! ‘Nuff said.2 stars for “3:10”
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