The Hoax ***

      We all tell little fibs from time to time, but not like this.

      “The Hoax” tells a story that’s as dastardly and quintessentially American as they come, complete with lies, money and more lies, all in an effort to perpetuate what many consider the greatest con of the twentieth century. There are certainly better con artist movies (“The Sting”), but this is an engaging effort that has the added allure of being based on a true story.

      The scam of note was perpetrated by Clifford Irving, a struggling writer in the early-70s who can’t convince McGraw-Hill to publish his latest novel, “Rudnick’s Problems.” Desperate, he promises his editor (Hope Davis) the “most important book of the twentieth century” without having any clue what it would be about.

      Then, an epiphany: what every publisher wants and can’t get is a memoir of the notoriously reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes. Without regard for honesty or professional integrity, Irving (Richard Gere) recruits his wife, an untalented hippie artist named Edith (Marcia Gay Harden), and fellow writer Dick Suskind (Alfred Molina) to help him research and cover up his “exclusive” biography of Hughes.

      What makes the film appealing is Irving’s uncanny ability to stay one step ahead of the truth, even going so far as to send Suskind to the Bahamas to mail a letter so it can be postmarked from there when it reaches New York. Irving begins with a reasonable amount of control of the situation, but as his bosses grow more inquisitive he pushes the deception further and is so convincing that you get the impression he believes the lies are true.

      Lasse Hallstrom (“Chocolat”) directs with a patient but steady hand, methodically bringing the story along before quickening the pace to accentuate Irving’s paranoia and fear. Better, Hallstrom never takes Irving’s mendacity too seriously, which allows for a relatively lighthearted tone throughout an otherwise serious drama. Credit for this also goes to Gere, who’s so charming as Irving that it’s hard to root against him.

      The rest of the cast is solid with the exception of Harden, an Oscar winner (“Pollock”) who once again has taken a supporting role that’s far beneath her. She tries a European accent for the sake of artistry, but it comes across as trite and underwhelming. Turning in small but memorable performances are Stanley Tucci as a cantankerous executive, Julie Delpy as Irving’s mistress and screen legend Eli Wallach (“The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”) as Hughes’ associate, Noah Dietrich.

      But the movie really belongs to Gere and Molina, who share an affable chemistry and are as adorable as two grown men can be while scheming like little kids to complete their research. This is more impressive considering their characters are total opposites: Irving is a philandering fraud who will do and say anything for the sake of his great ruse, while Suskind is a loyal husband who knows what they’re doing is wrong but can’t resist the temptation of money and fame.

      Moral judgment aside, “The Hoax” is a deliciously naughty guilty pleasure — the type of movie you enjoy because ordinary people are doing extraordinarily mischievous things and nearly getting away with everything.

Comments? E-mail dhudak22@yahoo.com