In 1971, rising author Clifford Irving (Gere) is in danger of being dropped by his editor (Davis) and publisher (Tucci), so he tells a whopping lie: he's just been granted exclusive rights to pen the official biography of reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes. Since Hughes hasn't been seen in years, no one can prove Irving is lying. But his story begins to unravel, so his deception shifts into high gear and he ropes in his wife (Harden) and best friend (Molina) to help research the book and perpetuate the fraud.

This is Hallström's strongest film in years, avoiding sentimentality to tell a remarkable story in a freewheeling, audacious style. The film is loaded with period details that add subtle insight and humour, beautifully designed and shot, with a terrific Carter Burwell score. As Irving's scam gets increasingly elaborate, the script indulges in blatant exaggerations and implications that are pure fiction. But they're also very entertaining.

Gere adopts a nicely stiff-scruffy physicality for the role, especially as he starts to see himself as Hughes, although his rather clinical screen presence keeps us from ever really liking him. But he does have some beautiful scenes with Harden, who's vividly quirky as his Swedish-German artist wife. And both Davis and Tucci keep the tension high as the publishers with their necks on the line, as does Delpy as the mystery woman with the key to unravelling the whole thing. But it's Molina who walks away with the film as Irving's charming, loyal and hilariously nervous sidekick.

As Irving struggles to maintain his convoluted charade amid a storm of doubt, the film can't help but be deeply enjoyable. Especially when it weaves in credible references to Richard Nixon's paranoia and the seeds of Watergate. This is extremely robust filmmaking, sharply telling a story about a man who falls deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole of his own lie and sees his own identity at risk.

themes, language

16.Jun.07