Toward the end of his life, Stanley Kubrick found himself increasingly vexed by the antics of an impostor who cut a swath through London, passing himself off as the acclaimed director. His success was founded not only on boundless chutzpah but also on the fact that Kubrick's real face and voice were practically unknown since-like Terence Malick and Chris Marker-he remained one of filmdom's few stubborn holdouts in the Fame Game. Although director Brian Cook and screenwriter Anthony Frewin have both collaborated with Kubrick for decades, what ultimately winds up on the screen has little to do with the actual filmmaker and everything to do with portraying the astonishing depths of human credulity, especially when provoked by the presence of a celebrity. Alan Conway, the man who turned out to be the perpetrator of the long-running hoax, is brought uproariously to life by John Malkovich. In a jaw-dropping tour de force, the star leaves no regional American accent or campily outlandish costume unturned. He stops at nothing in depicting Conway's shameless character, whether he is cadging a few quid for cab fare or pulling off even more outrageous scams. As producer Michael Fitzgerald notes: "The film has three hidden messages. One, anyone can be Stanley Kubrick. Two, all crimes perpetrated in the name of celebrity will be rewarded by celebrity itself. Three, if you ever meet a celebrity, watch your wallet."

Brian Cook