Lasse Hallström was not taken in by the main character in his latest film, "The Hoax." The Swedish-born director believes justice was served in the case of Clifford Irving, the U.S. novelist who nearly pulled off the literary con of the 20th century with his claim that billionaire recluse Howard Hughes had chosen him to write his biography.

"I was a bit torn about him," Hallstrom says of the man he got to know through William Wheeler's script, based on the book "The Hoax," which Irving wrote after he finished his jail term for fraud. "I think I'm fine with him being caught at the end."

In the film, which stars Richard Gere as Irving, Alfred Molina as Irving's friend and researcher, Dick Suskind, and Marcia Gay Harden as Irving's wife, Edith, the novelist comes up with his con after McGraw-Hill decides not to publish a book of his that it first highly touted.

Irving's "proof" of his dealings with Hughes convinced his publishers that he was on the level, even though he'd previously written a biography of art forger Elmyr de Hory, whom he'd gotten to know while living on Ibiza.

"I have my own theories on why he got started on it," says Hallstrom, 60. "I don't think it was because he needed money or it was the rejection from the publishing (company). I think they just wanted to do sort of a happening thing, like a happening of the day _ a new art form.

"It was something he discussed with de Hory, ... and I can imagine that they hung out in restaurants discussing these ideas. I never had that as an official explanation, but since they ... were neighbors in Ibiza and he (Irving) wrote a book on him (de Hory), I can't imagine that he wasn't a source of inspiration."

At the time Irving was pitching his fake biography and getting exposed for his fraud in the early 1970s, Hallstrom was starting his directing career in his native Stockholm.

"I knew about Howard Hughes," he says, "but I didn't get to hear about the Clifford Irving story. So it was all fresh to me when I read the script a couple of years ago."

Finding a leading man was no hurdle for Hallstrom. The director had met Gere when his actress wife, Lena Olin, worked with Gere on the 1993 film "Mr. Jones." Later, Hallstrom and Gere saw each other socially as neighbors in the Westchester, N.Y., area.

"As I read this, I just picked up the phone, called him and asked if he was interested in reading it," says Hallstrom. "I think two days later he called me and said he wanted to do it. So it was very straightforward, no agencies involved."

Hallstrom, who has been nominated for three Oscars for directing "The Cider House Rules" and writing and directing "My Life as a Dog" has made nine features in the 16 years since his U.S. debut with "Once Around." His credits also include such critical and commercial hits as "What's Eating Gilbert Grape," "Something To Talk About" and "Chocolat"."

Though his past three films _ "The Shipping News," "An Unfinished Life" and "Casanova" _ received mixed reviews, he stands by his choices.

Hallstrom acknowledges that he set the bar high with "My Life as a Dog" in 1985.

"I guess I've stopped trying to beat it, but it's there as something I'm proud of," he says.

He's still fond of 1977's "ABBA: The Movie," his cheesy second feature.

"It was very early, and it was kind of a film-school thing almost, made with big cameras and helicopters and things," he says. "That was a long time ago. That was fun (going to) Australia and being on tour with ABBA."