Meanwhile, he reconnects with his old mistress, Nina (Julie Delpy), whose charms he can’t resist, but it’s actually no problem, he reasons, because Clifford Irving is a professional liar who knows he can convince his wife of his innocence.  He tells Nina of his secret plan after one of their trysts. Clifford and Dick scramble to pull their information together, stealing data from the Library of Congress, the Department of Defense, and some former top execs from Hughes’s Toolco.

As he goes, rumors start to pop up that Irving’s book just might not be authorized. Again, Clifford’s not worried, though, because everyone knows that Hughes is an eccentric psychotic, and his denials are all part of the agreed upon plan.  All seems to go well for a while, but soon McGraw President Shelton Fisher (Stanley Tucci) gets some phone unsettling phone calls that call into question everything Cliff has purported.  He’ll have to do one scrambling, convincing acting job if his grand hoax is to have any chance of working.  If things go wrong, however, they could affect not only the publishing industry, but the career of President Nixon and the trust of the American public.    

The Hoax does have its good points, including some great historical footage of various happenings of the late 60s and 1970s, including the Vietnam War and protests, President Nixon and his speeches, old Coca-Cola commercials, senate hearings with recordings of Howard Hughes, and some old Beatles’ tunes.

The problem is that the movie has a way of making you feel bored and anxious at the same time.  You’re worried that this con artist will be caught at any moment, but the action is not quite riveting enough to hold your complete interest and make you root for the protagonist.

Speaking of which, the protagonist is such a slime-ball and such a professional liar that you’re really hoping he’ll get caught.  But even when some truths do surface, the scumbag effortlessly, smoothly makes things work out for himself – both relationally and professionally. 

The language in The Hoax is deplorable.  There are probably sixty foul words in the film, many of them strong obscenities and profanities. There’s also nudity, adultery, lying, cheating, stealing, and conning, many of which are never rebuked, and the consequences of which are often minimized. 

In the end, save your entertainment dollars.  Or better yet, spend them on a worthwhile film like Amazing Grace and learn about William Wilberforce – a man who did change society for good through his efforts to abolish slavery in England.

AUDIENCE:  Older teens and up

CAUTIONS:

• Drugs/Alcohol:  Alcohol portrayed in several scenes.
• Language:  Excessive, with about 60 obscenities and profanities.
• Sex:  Extra-marital affair shown, with upper female nudity.
• Violence:  Old footage of Vietnam and protests.
• World View:  Cynical. The clever can just about get away with anything, and the filthy rich can control presidents, nations, the economy, and the public.