From the get-go, The Hoax has two things going for it. It’s based on a true story and it features an incredible all-star cast. The story, as it’s fictionalized for the big screen, follows writer Clifford Irving (Richard Gere) and his writing partner, Dick Suskind (Alfred Molina), who together engineered the biggest scam in the literary world. What exactly did they do? Irving was about to be dropped by publishing house McGraw-Hill, so he cooked up a tale that revealed he was selected to be Howard Hughes' official biographer, handpicked by the reclusive billionaire himself. All of which turned out to be a clever con that actually took place in the early '70s.

Given the true subjet matter, much like Catch Me If You Can and Color Me Kubrick, The Hoax is grounded in reality. What adds to the DVD, aside from the cool story and powerful performances, is the extra called "Mike Wallace: Reflections on a Con". It’s cool to see such a well respected journalist as Mike Wallce look back and explain how Irving was able to fleece so many people with such a larger than life tale.

This may seem trivial to most, but the film is just a bit too long. Granted, we know that with historical events you often need to tell the whole story, but two hours is a tough run to keep you focused. The Hoax could have been given the 90-minute treatment.

If you’re into real-life imitating art, The Hoax is definitely for you. With all of the mysterious and downright strange stories surrounding the life and times of Howard Hughes, this ranks up there as one of the most interesting movies about the reclusive billionaire. As for Richard Gere in the role of Clifford Irving, he gives one of the most powerful performances of his career. Not to leave anyone out, Alfred Molina is absolutely brilliant as Irving’s bumbling side-kick, Dick Suskind.