Deception. Fraud. Illusion. In F For Fake, a free-form quasi-documentary by Orson Welles, the legendary filmmaker (and self-proclaimed charlatan) once again tackles the central concern of his career: the thin lines between illusion and truth, art and forgery. As a precursor to the modern “video essay” and the so-called “mockumentary,” the term “documentary” doesn’t quite do justice to this wonderfully erudite and witty mix of archival footage, home video, magic tricks, and fake news. Beginning with portraits of the world-famous art forger Elmyr de Hory and his equally cunning biographer Clifford Irving, Welles embarks on a dizzying journey that critiques and celebrates forgeries and fraudsters of all kinds—not least of all, Welles himself.

F For Fake is charming and inventive; an inspired cinematic experiment and a clever exploration of the undeniable duplicity of cinema.