THE HOAX  gives Richard Gere one of his best roles, as Clifford Irving, famous for concocting a fake autobiography of Howard Hughes.  An amusing 116 minutes of retro pop history, smoothly directed by Lasse Hallstrom, as Irving and partner-in-shame Dick Susskind (Alfred Molina, having a good time) amaze each other with their chutzpah and frantically try to stay ahead of the truth and The Law gaining on their pyramiding lies.

Changing his hairline and employing a fake nose, Gere dances through Irving’s palm-sweating bravado with more genuine energy that he’d displayed in years.  Hard to lose interest with a supporting cast of Marcia Gay Harden, Hope Davis, Julie Delpy, Stanley Tucci and Eli Wallach.  The 2006 comedy-drama took $25,000,000 to produce, but didn’t fare well, earning only $11,800,000.  Irving was a adviser on the film, but the script ticked him off and he asked that his name be removed. He said it was inaccurate. Question is, should we believe Clifford Irving?