I can't remember liking any of Lasse Hallstrom's films but I did like HOAX. Hallstrom stayed out of the picture, allowed Richard Gere to develop a complicated character with dated mannerisms, and did not cast his wife as a hag.

Clifford Irving (Gere) engineered an incredible hoax on the publishing world and the book buying public by pretending to write the sanctioned autobiography of reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes. Irving was confident that Hughes would never come forward.

Irving, who continued to dine out on his shameful fraud, wrote the autobiographical book that is the basis for this film. This means that, the facts being what they are, Irving is not really conniving but a scatter-brained prankster. He was not a con man. He was so sloppy you are shocked anyone trusted him with a huge advance based on a scribbled 3 page note supposedly from Mr. Hughes.

Set in 1972 when all this happened, Irving's career as a writer is slipping away until he decides to offer his book editor Andrea Tate (Hope Davis) a big "get" – Howard Hughes. No matter that Hughes hasn't seen anyone since 1949 and is a notorious recluse with his own secret agent police force.

Irving and his researcher and co-writer, David Susskind (Alfred Molina), travel to Las Vegas and steal the poorly-written manuscript of one of Hughes' trusted aides. Irving hoodwinks everyone by writing fake notes from Hughes and creating fantasy conversations. Hughes finally finds out about the book and, according to Irving, wants it to be published only if it contains information about bribes and payoffs to Richard Nixon. Lo and behold, someone sends Irving Hughes's secret files on Nixon.

See? Irving turned out to be the real dupe!

Irving has a long suffering wife, Edith (Marcia Gay Harden), and a flashy mistress, Nina Van Pallandt (Julie Delpy), who got herself smack in the middle of the hoax by revealing that Irving was vacationing with her in Mexico at the time he was allegedly interviewing Hughes. Irving was the kind of man who probably loved the publicity that he had a beautiful Danish mistress. While Edith put up with Irving's infidelity, lying and treachery, she did go to Switzerland on a fake passport and cash a million dollar check made out to Hughes. Irving did a little prison time. Edith got a year in prison. Nina made some movies.

If this had been Edith's story, it might have played differently. Irving is a creep but he was operating on the seat-of-his-pants kind of con. And, he did have the stolen manuscript filled with on the scene details. Why didn't he just write the whole thing as fiction or as a Hughes biography?

Hallstrom blends in historical footage as well as footage of Hughes. Gere is really terrific and does not – he's been a movie star too long to concern himself with the hungry need for the audience to love him – try to give Irving a good reason for being an unsavory cad just out for the money and fame. Yet, there is the underlying sense that Gere likes playing Irving. Regardless of what a character does, if the actor enjoys the role, it can be successfully translated to the audience. Of course, everyone around Irving is either a sour-puss corporate non-entity or a passive, indulgent bystander.

What is not made clear is why Irving thought he would get away with it. Did only a few people know the truth? Irving, who could trust him with telling the truth, doesn't come clean here.

(We at zboneman.com are excited to welcome the prolific and multi-talented writer Victoria Alexander to our staff. Critic for http://www.filmsinreview.com/ and pundit and humorist responsible for the candid and fearlessly funny "The Devil's Hammer," her column appears every Monday on http://fromthebalcony.com. Start off your week with a good hard laugh. It's a thrill to have her on board. Victoria Alexander answers every email and can be contacted directly at masauu@aol.com.)