Directed by Orson Welles
Written by Orson Welles
1973/France/Iran/West Germany
IMDb page
Repeat viewing/Criterion Channel
One of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
Orson Welles: What we professional liars hope to serve is truth. I’m afraid the pompous word for that is “art”.
What is this? Â It’s not a documentary, nor a mockumentary, nor a fiction film. Â Let’s call it a fun essay on the junction between truth and lies.
The setting is the resort island of Ibiza. Â Director Orson Welles, writer Clifford Irving, and painter Elmyr De Hory are enjoying the jet setter life style. Â They are all tricksters in one way or another. Â Irving famously faked an autobiography of Howard Hughes. Â Prior to that he had written the book “Fake” about the prodigious forged output of Elmyr.
Welles is gleeful as he explores the question of the value of art without a name and a certificate of authentication behind it. Â If a forged Modigliani is indistinguishable from a real one is the fake the lesser work of art? Â Welles also gets a chance to perform magic tricks, tell impossible sounding stories, talk about the famous “War of the Worlds” broadcast, and generally pontificate. Â With Oja Kodar, Welles’ real-life girlfriend, as a young beauty who walks out of Picasso’s life with 27 original portraits.
I had fun watching this. Â It’s interesting without necessarily being a must-see IMHO, unless, of course, you are a Welles completist.
I loved “F for Fake” when I first saw it. When I watched it a couple of years ago, I wasn’t sure it was holding up. I’m glad you had fun!
It’s a good day if I had a fun movie in it.
Strange…
Yet, it sounds curious enough.
How are you doing, Bea?
There was a story in the news today how California is going critical on hospitalizations and it did not sound good, I hope you a managing to keep at a distance of all this.
Unfortunately, I live in one of the worst counties in California (Riverside). We had triple digit growth in cases and deaths over a 14-day period for weeks. This has now slowed a lot, I suspect because a lot of statistical reports are not being filed timely during the holidays. The ICU’s are basically full. We are learning that the richest most populous state in the richest nation in the world has a hospital system that leaves a lot to be desired. But we are fine in our little bubble. I just pray that the vaccine gets to us before the virus. I have hope. My nephew is having a big wedding in October in Nevada and I’m planning to be there in person and doing a lot of hugging.
I’m worried about these new mutations that are showing up. They haven’t found them here (yet) but I would be stunned if they aren’t already. Hope all is well in Denmark.
I’ll be interested in your views on F for Fake.
I live in San Dimas and my job (transporting rescue animals) takes me to San Bernardino Co and Riverside Co, and I often want to scream “Why are you so stupid? What is wrong with you?”
I wish I could just stay at home! But the job continues because these dogs and cats still need saving. I just wish these ignorant “freedom fighters” would get a damn brain that works.
It’s almost as if they are in a race to see how many people can get infected before they can get vaccinated. … If they are smart enough to get vaccinated. Here in the Coachella Valley I haven’t seen too many people without masks perhaps because of our age demographic. On the other hand I hardly go out.
October is still a long way off. Hopefully all who want are vaccinated by then.
We are okay, but very much in isolation. We do not see anybody and only go out for supermarket shopping. All our plans for the holiday got cancelled so we are just playing board games and watching telly. (got Disney+ with a lot of classic Christmas movies…).
My niece got positive after paying with a friend on the 23rd, so my brother’s family is now in quarantine. So is my sister’s after her daughter’s friend got positive. It is getting really close. Just hope my parents will get vaccinated before it catches up with them.
The numbers here are bad, especially in the CPH region. hospitalizations are exponentially growing and we are now in full lockdown again. They have not actually cancelled New Year, but it is close. Man, cannot wait to get rid of 2020.
I read about Denmark after I asked that question and see that it does not look good. But Danes are sensible people and I am sure you will turn the situation around. I will keep your family in my heart. Hope all goes well with them.
My husband should be getting his vaccination in the next group but they haven’t been doing a red-hot job finishing up the first group. I have no idea how we will find out that the vaccine is available to us. Yesterday our Governor put Southern California on an indefinite stay at home order. 40% of the hospital beds in LA county are filled with Covid cases. All the snowbirds seem to have landed in the desert and the roads are full of cars here. Back in March it was all eerily empty.
Sorry about being such a sour puss. My nieces treated me royally this Christmas with gifts designed to help me get happy and chill out.
I’m looking forward 2021. Still hoping we get through 2020 without another natural disaster. Sorry. I am becoming the most downer person I know. At least we have the movies!
As for F for Fake … I love it! I’ve seen it three or four times over the years, and it always holds up for me. The first time I saw it was about 1990 on cable, and I was going “What is this!?” I had never heard of it. It seemed like my little secret movie for while.
I liked this a bit more than you did. I think it’s clever, and I like that it assumes the audience has something on the ball.
I have a feeling that this movie has different effects on different days. I liked it more the first time than this time and might like it the third time better yet.
Considering that it was made on a budget of almost nothing I think F for Fake works surprisingly well. You have to be in the mood for it though.
Dealing with a zero budget, also a Wellesian trick. It is good. You have to be in the mood to concentrate though.