F for Fake

Documentary

1973, Movie, 1h 29min

Trickery. Deceit. Magic. In F FOR FAKE, a free-form sort-of documentary by Orson Welles, the legendary filmmaker (and self-described charlatan) gleefully reengages with the central preoccupation of his career: the tenuous lines between illusion and truth, art and lies. Beginning with portraits of the world-renowned art forger Elmyr de Hory and his equally devious biographer, Clifford Irving, Welles embarks on a dizzying journey that simultaneously exposes and revels in fakery and fakers of all stripes, not the least of whom is Welles himself. Charming and inventive, F FOR FAKE is an inspired prank and a clever examination of the essential duplicity of cinema.

Country: Germany,Iran,France

Directors:

Orson Welles,

François Reichenbach

Cast:

Orson Welles,

François Reichenbach,

Gary Graver,

Peter Bogdanovich

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Ratings

Your rating: 1

IMDb rating

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7.7

Critic rating

Average critic rating

9.0

Reviews

Critic William Thomas

rated

...also a sly treatise on authorship, the socio-cultural relevance of art and the perks of roguish genius.

Read full review at Empire

Critic David Jenkins

rated

Even at a trim 87 minutes, the film is so dense that you’ll need to give it multiple run-throughs to draw out all the details and references. At the same time, it’s arguably Welles most superficially enjoyable film...

Read full review at Little White Lies