The Hoax (R)
Mike:
Scott:
Scott: Tonight we are reviewing The Hoax
starring Richard Gere as Clifford Irving, the man who claimed to write the autobiography of Howard Hughes.
What did you think Mike?
Mike: I liked it. I think it was an fascinating story told well.
How about you?
Scott: I really liked the story. I had never heard of the story and I found it fascinating.
Mike: I had heard of the story, but didn't really know any details. So, like you, I learned quite a bit. As always with based on a true story, you have to wonder how much is true. You know me, I had to look it up on the internet.
Scott: Clifford Irving is a small time writer trying to make it big. The lack of respect he gets from his publisher forces him to try another approach, if you can't write the great book, make one up.
Scott: At the time Howard Hughes was one of the most sought after people in the world. Irving decided that Hughes would be a perfect subject for his new book.
Mike: At the time Howard Hughes was a recluse, so he figured there was no way that Hughes would refute the book.
He was mostly right.
Scott: I guess Irving thought that with Hughes being reclusive this was the next best thing to writing about a dead person.
Mike: When you watch you figure that there is no way anyone could get away with this and then when you see how clever Irving and his partner Richard Susskind (Alfred Molina) were, you walk away amazed.
Scott: Irving's drive to be recognized for what he was doing pushed him further and further out on the ledge. You know what's going to happen in the end and throughout the movie you wonder if this scene is the scene that spells his doom.
Mike: This movie has a great cast.
Scott: Molina was great in this, best actor in the movie I think.
Mike: I agree. I think that Gere does a good job, but the real scene stealer is Molina.
Scott: "He gave me a prune."
Mike: That will actually make sense once you have seen the movie.
Scott: He always looked so scared and nervous. I'm surprised he was able to make it through the movie.
Mike: He seems to be a genuinely good guy, who gets roped into his best friends scheme.
Scott: Marcia Gay Harden is Edith Irving, the third member of this elaborate hoax.
Mike: To me she was the weakest of the bunch. I have never really been that impressed by her.
In this movie her accent gives me a rash.
Scott: I think her drab appearance and that strange accent turned me off the most. I discounted her the same way her husband did.
Mike: Oh so you also decided it would be more fun to have an affair with Julie Delpy?
Scott: I'd have to go with a yes on that one Alex.
Mike: Julie has a small part that I have to admit I enjoyed.
Scott: It's always nice to see Stanley Tucci, he plays a-holes as good as anyone else
In this case, he is one of the top-dogs at publishing house of the book.
Mike: Yes and I also enjoyed Hope Davis as Irving's agent Andrea Tate.
She was very uptight, but could not resist the thrill that this all might be real.
Scott: She was funny.
Mike: I also like her in Six Degrees, which is a pretty neat little show, that OF COURSE has been cancelled.
Scott: Director Lasse Hallström has directed some good movies.
Mike: I was just thinking the same thing.
Scott: What can top, ABBA: The Definitive Collection.
Just kidding. Chocolat and The Cider House Rules were both well thought of films.
Mike: I love those and I just saw Casanova on DVD.
That's a film I would call fun with a lot of switched and mistaken identities and a sense of humor all the way through.
Scott: I have not seen it. The last film I saw by him was An Unfinished Life, and that was not good.
Mike: We saw that together, remember? They can't all be gems.
Scott: True, and that movie made this even better.
Mike: The other thing I wanted to mention is a nice attention to detail with all the early 70's hair, clothes and backgrounds. You see Richard Gere walking around a Las Vegas that doesn't even exist anymore.
Scott: Since you just got back from Vegas, you should be able to tell the difference 30 years makes.
Mike: Oh yes. By the way did I mention that I just got back from VEGAS?
My fourth trip and it was way more fun than I remembered.
Scott: If you can remember your trips, then you are doing something wrong.
I enjoyed the soundtrack, that had some pretty good songs on it
Mike: On the other hand the score is not memorable.
Scott: What do you rate this?
Mike: I know you are going to find this hard to believe, but I give it a 4 overall and a 4 for based on a true story drama. I thought the movie was well acted and I found the story sucks you in much like Zodiac that we saw earlier this year.
And you?
Scott: I enjoyed the film and while there were lulls, they weren't too long or too detrimental to the overall quality of the film. I give it a 4 overall and a 4 for drama based on a true story.
Mike: Anyone else find it interesting that The Hoax comes out on Friday the 13th?
