F for Fake

F for Fake (1973-09-01)

Documentary |

7.4

Overview

Documents the lives of infamous fakers Elmyr de Hory and Clifford Irving. De Hory, who later committed suicide to avoid more prison time, made his name by selling forged works of art by painters like Picasso and Matisse. Irving was infamous for writing a fake autobiography of Howard Hughes. Welles moves between documentary and fiction as he examines the fundamental elements of fraud and the people who commit fraud at the expense of others.

Directed By: Orson Welles

Star Cast: Orson Welles , Oja Kodar , Elmyr de Hory , Clifford Irving ,

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Status: Released
Runtime: 89m
Popularity: 2.4174
Language: fr

Budget: $0
Revenue: $0

Vote Average: 7.4
Vote Count: 356

Keywords

artist manipulation illusion deception ibiza essay film forgery forger trickery

Star Cast
Reviews

Orson Welles

Orson Welles

Self

Oja Kodar

Oja Kodar

The Girl

Elmyr de Hory

Elmyr de Hory

Self

Clifford Irving

Clifford Irving

Self

Laurence Harvey

Laurence Harvey

Self

Edith Irving

Edith Irving

Self

David Walsh

David Walsh

Self

Paul Stewart

Paul Stewart

Self

Richard Wilson

Richard Wilson

Self

Joseph Cotten

Joseph Cotten

Self

Howard Hughes

Howard Hughes

Self (archive footage)

Richard Drewett

Richard Drewett

Self

Alexander Welles

Alexander Welles

Self

Gary Graver

Gary Graver

Self

Andrés Vicente Gómez

Andrés Vicente Gómez

Self

Julio Palinkas

Julio Palinkas

Self

Christian Odasso

Christian Odasso

Self

Françoise Widhoff

Françoise Widhoff

Self

C_Hickcock

This movie is a masterpiece -- it is equal parts an insightful essay, a magic trick and a prank. Welles considered it a new type of film -- its subject matter explores what is a forgery/counterfeit vs. what is authentic and the film wrestles with its subject by blurring those lines in a way that is both entertaining and fun. It's a masterclass in editing and a must for any student of filmmaking.