The Hoax (DVD, 2007)

Clifford Irving (Richard Gere) was a writer lacking the two ingredients necessary for a successful career...integrity and a story. He decided to invent an authorized autobiography of the most intriguing man of his times, Howard Hughes. In part Hughes was selected because Irving felt the Hughes reclusive lifestyle would prevent the hoax from being exposed. Irvings hunger for fame and fortune placed all those around him in harms way. It mattered not what the consequences were for his wife, his friends or his business contacts. It was all about Clifford Irving. Hoax is too kind a word for the likes of Irving. Criminal would have been a more appropriate title. Hoax implies a prank. This was not. Movies like The Sting or even Bonnie and Clyde have a degree of justification as a rebellion of a system gone awry...the evil bankers..a failed social system. No justification exists for Clifford Irving. He was a crook. He learned the hard way getting in the deep end of the pool with the likes of Richard Nixon and Howard Hughes was no place for amateurs.

Richard Gere does a fantastic job of become Clifford Irving who becomes Howard Hughes. It is one of Gere's best performances. The sad part is Irving did not deserve either the attention or the movie. The movie is slow, sad and has no hero for the viewers to wish to succeed. The actors all did great jobs. In the spirit of the Son of Sam Laws I hope Irving did not make a dime from the film. Crooks do not need be rewarded.

Hoax is a fine way to spend an evening with a rented film. I just can not see buying it with the intention of seeing it again. It is not that kind of movie.