While Richard Gere’s character in “The Hoax” may be a fake, his performance is authentically complex and fascinating. In a character study of struggling author Clifford Irving, Gere manages to show the many sides of the purported personal biographer of Howard Hughes. In one of the best dramas that no one saw this year, “The Hoax” deserves another chance on DVD.
Having experienced a taste of success before it was ripped away, the fledgling writer Irving has to come up with a book idea quickly before his agent and publishing house drop him. In the late ’60s, no topic is bigger than the eccentric millionaire Howard Hughes, who has not appeared in public for years - landing an interview with him would be a major coup for Irving.
He concocts a ploy to write a biography about Hughes, with his supposed permission and involvement. While Irving does extensive research on his subject, with the assistance of his friend, Dick, (Alfred Molina, “Spiderman 2”), his most valuable tools are his convincing lies on the road to profit and publication.
The three main characters, Irving, his wife, and Dick, are well portrayed by three very capable actors, making them feel accessible. Marcia Gay Harden (“American Dreamz”) plays Irving’s foreign wife, Edith, with flair and a wary sadness that made her presence feel greater than her screen time. Molina was the exact opposite to Gere’s suave con man - Dick comes across as goofy and simple, while also at times intelligent and honorable.
You may take a perverse joy in hoping Irving will get away with his intricately woven plot, though exposure looms in every scene. It is Gere’s slickness and director Lasse Halstrom’s (“Cider House Rules”) fast moving story and creative expression of Irving’s lies on-screen that makes “The Hoax” as entertaining as it is informative.
Rated R for language.
