CrankyÕs
Flickershow Reviews
By Neil Richter
Stranger Than Fiction
The plot of
The Hoax, new on video this week,
is based off of the memoirs of a man who almost pulled off one of the more
elaborate cons in American history.
In 1971, small time writer Clifford Irving, along with two hapless
accomplices, one of which was his own wife, hatched a scheme to publish a fake
autobiography of reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes. IrvingÕs publisher, McGraw Hill, eagerly took the bait,
eventually supplying Irving with a one million dollar advance for rights to the
book. (an absolutely unheard-of sum at that time.) Irving took the con as far as it could possibly go, stealing
and forging documents, faking interviews, even fabricating communiquˇs
ŌdirectlyÕ from Howard to publishers.
Eventually, as things usually end in these sorts of stories, IrvingÕs
plans came crashing down.
Still, it
makes for great cinema. For the
vast majority of its running time, The Hoax ably and nimbly taps into that great human
desire: to get away with something
really really big. A great deal of this is thanks to the
terrific ensemble acting. As
McGraw Hill higher-ups, Hope Davis and Stanley Tucci exude astounding
cold-bloodedness that manages to be amusing while never slipping into parody. Marcia Gay Harden finds a way to
harness audience sympathy under an iffy Swiss accent as IrvingÕs long-suffering
wife. The standout among the
supporting cast however is Alfred Molina as IrvingÕs foolishly loyal friend,
Dick Suskind. As the hapless patsy
along for the ride, Molina works wonders at achieving pathos while
accomplishing some terrifically subtle physical comedy. ItÕs another great performance by the
man who gave us the only memorable Spider-Man villain in an already-bloated
franchise (but thatÕs another storyÉ..)
I can say
what I will about the supporting cast, but it is undeniable that the leading
man towers over all of them. With
frizzed-out hair and a massive fake schnozz, Richard Gere inhabits the role of
Clifford Irving like some kind of perverse clown on speed. He practically hovers in mid-air during
the early portions of the film, conning everyone in sight with a palpable
nervous energy that boggles the mind.
This is what movie-star confidence can lend to the right role. The magic of GereÕs work here is the
tightrope walk that he manages, too much in one direction and he becomes an
emotionally cloying anti-hero, too much in the other and heÕs absolutely
despicable. Somehow, Gere makes us
cheer for this guy while knowing all along that heÕs an absolute
slimeball. No doubt about it, this
Irving guy is a piece of work who will betray his best friend in a heartbeat,
but we just canÕt bring ourselves to hate him. HeÕs like that friend who you just know you should have
kicked to the curb years ago, but you just canÕt help but love the way he
lies. Turns out, Irving inspires
dubious confidence in all those around him because, against all odds, heÕs
actually starting to believe some of his own bs. Herein lies the problem.
During its
breezy first half, The Hoax glides
along beautifully, as good as any caper IÕve seen all year. Problem is, director Lasse Hallstrom
(who really needs a hit, everything heÕs directed since Chocolat has flopped) decides that he better turn this story
into an out-and-out tragedy. Big
mistake. He gets so wrapped up in
devising CliffordÕs comeuppance that he jettisons the nervous energy that
pushed this film above the crowd in the first place. Instead, we are treated to IrvingÕs increasingly paranoid
delusions, which become increasingly out-of-place as the film goes on. <<possible spoiler>>For
awhile Irving seems to be trying to become Howard Hughes. Then he
finds himself pursued by HowardÕs goonsÉor is he. ItÕs
all rather mystifying and goes nowhere.
Furthermore, Hallstrom goes for a murky subplot involving Nixon and
Watergate that doesnÕt really go anywhere either. Despite his best efforts, HallstromÕs attempts (and there
are many) to make some sort of statement tying the Viet Nam era to the present-day
all fall flat. Truth be told, the
denouement is often a tough balance to achieve in a story such as this, but
thereÕs a right way to do it. I
mean, look at how Scorsese mowed down the entire cast in the final reel of The
Departed and still managed to get
away with it. This is not to say
that all is lost, however. GereÕs
performance works overtime right through to the finish, and HallstromÕs loose,
jazzy camera makes things interesting, but when the fun runs out, the engine
also mostly runs dry. It picks up
slightly for an appropriately bittersweet ending, set aptly enough to The
Rolling Stones You CanÕt Always Get What you Want, but the sweet taste of the early chapters remains
slightly washed-away.
Despite all
that though, thereÕs too much to like here to warrant the filmÕs lackluster
theatrical run. My guess is that
there just wasnÕt enough youth in the cast. Maybe if they had Heath Ledger starring as Irving something
might have turned upÉ
Nevertheless, the film is by no means a failure. Even if you dislike like Richard Gere
(and I certainly do) youÕll still find yourself liking his performance here,
and thatÕs just the tip of the iceberg.
Rent it.
10/25/07