It’s a great movie. Why would I lie? Based on a true life story, circa 1971, Clifford Irving (Richard Gere) is down on his luck, cheating on his wife (Marcia Gay Hayden) and completely broke. Not to mention that his editor (Hope Davis) has just informed him that his latest manuscript won’t be published. But she’s also told him that “if you have another idea, my door is always open.” And so he does. With the help of his researcher, Dick Susskind (Alfred Molina) the two concoct an insane scheme that will give McGraw-Hill publishers “the most important book of the 20th century!” A biography exclusive with Howard Hughes. Of course, there’s just one problem. They need to get to Hughes – the eccentric recluse billionaire – in order to make it happen. With Hughes a “lunatic hermit” Gere has to sound more and more outrageous himself, in order to make this farce believable. As a writer, he stretches way beyond his fabricating abilities. The movie is brilliant, entertaining, non-stop unbelievable as it is believable, with acting that is off the charts both in their convincing and in their performances. But like the movie’s storyline, perhaps too, this review is all a hoax. Four tiaras
