Review of The Hoax (2006) by Andrea V — 01 Oct 2008

Down and out writer, Clifford Irving (Gere) can't seemingly catch a break. Jerked around by the industry from one broken promise to another, Clifford decides on a risky strategy, by promising a biography on infamous recluse and man of the moment Howard Hughes (the one Leo Dicaprio played in The Aviator). The project however has one small snag. The book is completely made-up. To even meet Hughes was rarer then Spurs winning a football match, let alone get hours and hours of tape interview footage of him.

As the lie begins to snowball and the publishers begin to get more and more suspicious of the authenticity of Irvings book the more and more he has to create new and interesting ruses to avoid being caught, roping his long time friend and collaborator and wife into the mix.

Gere has plenty of fun here and is the major focal point of this movie, being in almost every scene. However for all his acting prowess, he just dosent seem to have turned up here. Scenes which could have brought about great suspense, not to mention a degree of squirming as Clifford finds the screws being tighten fall somewhat on the side of flat. Alfred Molina is ok here but is somewhat wasted as a rather overdependent researcher who seems to let his life revolve around Irving, and the rest of the support are largely forgettable (including the excellent Stanley Tucci. If he's made to look ordinary you know you've done something wrong).

It is by no means a bad movie but regrettably there is nothing here to keep in you interested. Irving is a lying, cheating schumuck so you really dont find yourself rooting for him anyway, and Molinas character is such a snivelling wimp you'd rather slap him then shake his hand.

In the end, the Hoax while based on a true story felt overlong and underwhelming, a shame considering its early promise.