matt4635

(2013-05-18 01:39:14)

Truly Speechless

I just finished experiencing "The Imposter" for I think the 4th timethis month. I am absolutely in love with this film. My new favorite.Around 2/3 of the film (during my first viewing on my computer) Ipaused the film and looked online regarding the subject. I just did notbelieve this was real. Not only is this story absurd but the way inwhich it is presented is what makes "The Imposter" a true "experience."In addition, as a film student, I really appreciate the way in whichthe live action parts of the film are shot. They are mesmerizing. Theediting, cinematography- it's all too much and so well executed. Ifyou're thinking about seeing it/ renting it/ buying it, I don't knowwhat you're waiting for. Please close this page and start watching it-you won't be disappointed.

AG comment

(2013-05-17 06:07:34)

Imposter

ImposterIt is a British film talking about an international fraud.The way of using cameras, the Montages, the quick cuts and the effectsof education rather than entertainment, made me feel that I waswatching some British TV channels.A boy disappeared in one country and was claimed to be by anotherperson in another country after four years. Then the families of themissing boy accepted the stranger with no doubt. Ultimately, aninspector found the new one could not match the boy's ears and thefraudster was identified by fingerprint.I think some audiences were also wondering that if the family hadkilled the son as there should be a conclusion. However, the boy'smissing was still a mastery in the end.It was a strange psychological thing if it could happen when peoplewanted their missing loves so much that they could not recognize theirdetails. How could you imagine a mother who doesn't know his son'sshapes of ears?The case had been closed as there was no enough evidence. So themissing ones were sacrificed by the flawed society and the limitationof human's brains.As the film's name is Imposter, I guess it wanted to focus on howserious the fraud itself was. If it was adapted from a true story,there comes a question: how many imposters are stealing publicresources that they are not entitled to use?Well, to be honest, it is not a film for fun.

Sindre Kaspersen

(2013-05-15 17:07:18)

"Strangely humorous, gravely serious and puzzling mystery..."

British producer, screenwriter and documentary director Bart Layton'sfeature film debut is based on a French serial impostor named FrГѓВ©dГѓВ©ricBourdin. It premiered at the 28th Sundance International Film Festivalin 2012, was screened in the Zabaltegi-Pearls section at the 60th SanSebastiГѓВЎn International Film Festival in 2012 and is a UK productionwhich was produced by producer Dimitri Doganis. It tells the storyabout a 13-year old boy named Nicholas Barclay who during a summer in1994 disappears from his hometown in San Antonio, Texas in USA. Morethan three years later a traumatized boy is found by the police in thecity and municipality of Linares, Spain. He claims to be Nicholas and afamily convinced that their missing son has returned welcomes him home. Finely and intimately directed by British filmmaker Bart Layton, thisfast-paced fictional documentary/narrative feature which is mostlynarrated by and from the protagonist's point of view, draws aremarkable portrayal of an American family's sudden reunion with theiryoung son in the late 1990s. While notable for it's colorful milieudepictions, fine production design by production designers MarciaCalosio and Mariona Julbe and cinematography by cinematographers ErikWilson and Lynda Hall, this narrative-driven and interview-driven crimestory where fact and fiction is interlaced depicts a multifaceted studyof character about a person's impossible and deceptive attempt toescape from himself and contains a relieving and timely score bycomposer Anne Nikitin. This somewhat biographical, significantly atmospheric and instantlyengaging thriller about identity, the blinding yearning for love, theconsequences of one's childhood and upbringing and the wish to beanother person who in one's own perception is better and more lovable,is impelled and reinforced by it's fragmented narrative structure whichreflects the main character's tales and explanations, rhythmic editingby film editor Andrew Hulme, various characters, incredible andinterrelated stories and acting performances by theatre actor AdamO'Brian in his debut feature film role and British actress Anna Ruben.In this era it takes a lot for a film to be shocking or sensational,but this strangely humorous, gravely serious and puzzling mystery comespretty close to being exactly that.- 13th Bergen International Film Festival 2012

Hellmant

(2013-05-15 04:15:25)

Truth is always stranger than fiction and this is one strange story!

'THE IMPOSTER': Three Stars (Out of Five)Documentary detailing the 1997 impersonation case where a French23-year-old con artist pretended to be a missing 16-year-old boy andbegan living with the kid's family (unbeknownst to them amazingly). Thefilm uses interviews with those involved as well as severalreenactments (using actors) to tell it's story. It was directed by BartLayton, who's previous experience is solely in TV documentaries (and itshows). The film has a strong TV crime show feel to it but it's stillinteresting and somewhat involving. I'm not big fan of acted outreenactments (in documentaries like this) but it does help the filmbetter tell it's story. Not a great documentary (and it doesn't quitelive up to it's critical acclaim hype) but it's still an interestingone. The film tells the story of Frederic Bourdin, a French 23-year-old conartist who had a long record of impersonating children. In this case heconvinced a Texas family that he was their 16-year-old son (who hadbeen missing for three years) from a missing children's office inSpain. The family buys his story (as does almost everyone else), evenafter meeting him, despite the fact that he looks nothing like theblond haired, blue eyed kid and speaks with a French accent. He tellsauthorities that he had been kidnapped by U.S. military and transportedto Spain for sexual abuse. A private investigator (Charles Parker) andan FBI agent (Nancy Fisher) begin suspecting something isn't right fromthe get-go even though everyone else is duped. Suspicions also arise asto why the family was so eager to believe this stranger was undoubtedlytheir child. The movie is very eerie, disturbing and bizarrely interesting butthat's more so just because of the fascinating story than thefilmmakers' storytelling methods. I didn't really care for the crime TVformat and found it a little emotionally void and uncinematic. Stillthe events depicted make for a good movie. It's the kind of story thatno one would buy if it were known to be fiction. Viewers would totallyhave a problem with the believability of the film if they thought itcame from someone's imagination but because it's based on facts they'lleat it up. Truth is always stranger than fiction and this is onestrange story.Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8-fGGKVWPc

mjl1961

(2013-05-14 21:41:48)

What was all the fuss about?

The viewers who gave this a multi-star glowing review must have watcheda different film to me.The Imposter had a very simple premise: White skinned, blond, blue-eyed, wimpy framed eleven year old Texan kid goes missing in 1994.Three years later a dark hared, brown eyed, darkish skinned, Frenchaccented, muscular youth turns up in Spain and claims to be the missingchild.Sitting there, watching this film, the first thought that occurred isthat these people are so stupid, the whole thing must be a spoof. Butit isn't. According to the blurb and associated information on theinternet this is actually a true story and yes the family who took inthe 'returnee' were obviously completely stupid. As were the FBI andSocial Services who got involved in this.Why was this made into a film? It could have been condensed from its 90minute running time to a half an hour and shown on the Sky Unwatchablechannel at 3am.It's not as if this is a psychological thriller. It was just plainboring.So save yourself a wasted night out and give this one a miss.

geileskey

(2013-05-14 00:39:55)

Emphasis on style rather than fleshed out story

As a documentary, The Imposter was well shot, but I don't know how wellit will do in theatres as the subject matter is based on the success oflying and the gullibility of ordinary people. Frederic Bourdain was nota likable character, and had absolutely no feelings of remorsewhatsoever throughout the entire film. There was little information touched on his past, and I felt thedocumentary was a little sensationalist attempting to lure audiencesinto the premise that it was more murder-mystery than the "catch me ifyou can" skill of a career criminal and habitual liar. In fact, I leftthe theatre feeling that more attention was paid to the cinematicsrather than fleshing out the story. Was there any deep investigationinto the characters of the family?At least in Man on Wire (produced by the same team), the audience couldadmire the lead character's skill rather than despise his ability andnecessity to lie in The Imposter.

Caleb Elliott

(2013-05-04 15:11:10)

Review

On June, 13, 1994, Nicolas Barclay went missing. Last seen playingbasketball with his friends in San Antonio, Texas. There was no word ofhis whereabouts for days, weeks, months, years until it was assumed hewould be missing forever, the search having long since died out. Thenthe incredible happened. He was discovered in Linares, Spain. Or was he? The Nicolas that went missing 3 years earlier had had blueeyes not brown and the new Nicolas had a french accent? This newNicolas was actually Frederic Bourdin a 22 year old French-Algerian,with an addiction to and talent for deceit and fraud. Nevertheless hemanaged to fool the Barclay family, US embassy officials, the FBI andmost of America, if not the world, into believing that he was indeedNicolas Barclay. But one man had his doubts. A charismatic Texanprivate eye, Charlie Parker, originally hired to track down Nicolas foran interview with a local media company, noticed an irregularitybetween the two Nicolas's ears, which eventually lead to Frederic'sdiscovery and arrest.This captivating and chilling story is beautifully explored by thedirector Bart Layton. He blurs the boundaries between a documentary andblockbuster. Even though Layton allows you to be aware that Frederic isnot the real Nicholas Barclay from the outset, he teasingly feeds youfragments of the story piece by piece from the perspectives of thefamily members, the officials and Frederic himself. The product is agripping thriller, heightened by the knowledge that it is a true storyand by the mesmerising stylised cinematography, including some eerymoving portraits of the family members accepting an obvious strangerinto their home. This is just one of the many striking images in thisfilm that will stay with me for a long time. Provoking questions about identity, human nature, society and nationalsecurity, the Imposter our keeps you eager with anticipation while youbathe in the beauty of the images crafted by Layton. It's a brilliantfilm - one of the best thrillers, let alone documentaries, I have seen.

ephilburn

(2013-05-04 02:47:34)

A unique, captivating, sinister story

I was very impressed by the affect this documentary had on me. I hadnever heard of this story in the news and it was a complete shock forme to hear about the events that took place.The most surprising element to the film is the fact that the "imposter"could successfully steal the identity of a missing child. You keepasking yourself how could this happen? How can a family make thismistake? The plot is intense and keeps you guessing "what will happennext?" It has some twists in it that I actually gasped while watchingit alone and found my self sitting on the edge of my seat. I would absolutely recommend this documentary to anyone I know. Iabsolutely loved it. It was disturbing and mysterious on so manylevels. It is, undoubtedly, a must-see.

octopusluke

(2013-05-01 01:51:37)

A stupefying, 'wtf?' movie, which puts fictional thrillers to shame

Considered a dead-cert win at the Academy Awards next year, BartLayton's documentary The Imposter has rapidly generated a great deal ofnotoriety and acclaim. The quintessential 'stranger than fiction' tale,it's sensational blend of archive footage, delicate reconstructions andheartrending talking head interviews illustrate that, not only isLayton a masterful, investigative reporter, but moreover a profoundlyimpressive storyteller.Back in 1994, the blue-collar Barclay family from San Antonio, Texas,was left distraught after the disappearance of their 13-year-old son,Nicholas. Like any teenage boy, Nicholas was a cocksure kid, filledwith energy, love for his family, and certainly wouldn't runaway fromhome for no good reason. Weeks turned into months, and eventually thecase was abandoned by the police and press. Three years later, thelocal Texas police department receives an international call fromSpain. On the receiving end is a character claiming to be Nicholas.Putting in a bogus story about how he escaped the clutches of a drugfuelled, pedophilic organization, the police think his story check out,and soon enough Nicholas' sister Carey jets over to Europe to meet herlong lost brother. In front of police officials, she takes a good lookand identifies him as the legitimate lost brother. Three years ago,Nicholas was a blue-eyed, spunky American teenager, now he'stransformed into a dark haired, brown-eyed man with stubble and anirreplaceable French accent.The Imposter, like it's central subject, is not the documentary youexpect it to be. With many twists, contortions and moral judgements,your pretty much open-mouth and on the edge of your seat throughout thefilm's entirety. That's partly down to Layton's craft, particularly theErrol Morris-like interviewing technique – which sees people gazedirectly into the lens of the camera and, vicariously, straight at us.But, even more astounding, is the capricious performer that names thefilm. Frédéric Bourdin, a then 23-year-old man of French-Algeriandescent, is actively impersonating Nicholas the whole time, convincingnot only the state officials, but the abandoned boy's own mother. Witha shrouded history as a homeless orphan thrown into the life ofdeception and petty crime, he longed to fit in and have a family of hisown. When that opportunity didn't surface, he decided to stealNicholas's own."How could he get away with it?" I hear you cry. That's something I'llleave for you to answer when you see this documentary. Suffice to say,Bourdin is an intimidatingly convincing, intelligent and charismaticfigure. To the point where we sit back and reflect whether we couldhave been swung by his quick wit. Even if Bourdin is the greatpretender, a new revelation in the film's final act suggests that theBarclay family are perhaps keeping up appearances of their own.It may not be my favourite documentary of the year (The Act of Killing,if you were wondering), but The Imposter is the best psychologicalthriller I've seen in recent memory. It transcends the documentarystratum. A dauntingly universal account of a missing child and falseidentity, it's stupefying moments will leave you silenced whilst themovie plays out. But, as soon as the credits roll, you'll be talkingabout this exceptional movie for years to come.Read more reviews at: http://www.366movies.com

Rob Williams

(2013-04-30 16:16:24)

A truly bizarre story

A 13 year old boy disappears from a small town in Texas, three yearslater Police in Spain alert authorities in the US, against all odds itappears that child has been found....or has he?I watched this 'movie' not knowing very little about it, and after 10minutes or so I was puzzled, is this a mocu-mentary or based on a truestory? surely it couldn't be as the story was so bizarre!!Filmed in the same style as the TV show 'Banged Up Abroad', partinterview clips with the real people, part reconstructed key momentswith actors, this is a quite astonishing story and well worth aviewing.

TheSquiss

(2013-04-20 16:32:11)

A bizarre, chilling, surprising & thoroughly enthralling 99-minute eye-popping experience.

There are far too few documentaries on general release so it's a rarepleasure to sit in a dark screening room with six other people to watchanother example of bizarre real life unfold across the screen. TheImposter is one of those documentaries where you sit there with thesense of incredulity growing as every twist in the plot reveals itself.It's not as jaw-droppingly absurd as the excellent Tabloid and it isn'tremotely funny, but it is a fascinating and compelling experience.I'll qualify that; the story of The Imposter is fascinating while themanner in which it is presented to us upon the screen is absolutelycompelling and worthy of the plaudits it has so far received, includinga nomination for the Grand Jury Prize at this year's Sundance FilmFestival and a gong in the same category at the Miami Film Festival.In San Antonio, Texas on 13 June 1994, thirteen-year-old NicholasBarclay disappeared. Three and a half years later, when his family'sonly hope was to find his remains and gain closure, they received wordthat Nicholas was alive and had been found in Spain. His elder sister,Carey, flew out to Spain to bring Nicholas home whereupon he unfolded atale of kidnapping and abuse. However, blonde, blue-eyed AmericanNicolas had somehow become darker skinned, dark haired and French andnow looked out onto the world through brown eyes. Yet the family stillaccepted him as their own! Told partly through interviews with theplayers including, incredibly, the imposter himself and dramatizedinterpretations of events, The Imposter gently reveals the events asprivate investigator Charlie Parker suspects FrГѓВ©dГѓВ©rick Bourdin's trueidentity and uncovers his history. It bears some resemblance to LeRetour de Martin Guerre (or Sommersby if you preferred the Americanadaptation) but there is no sign of altruism or a purity of intent fromBourdin. Just as you think you've understood the situation, anothernugget of information widens the eyes even further until 'How could thefamily not know?' turns to 'Why did they decide not to know?' And stillmore questions arrive.It's an incredible story where doubt is cast over the sanity andhonesty of those at the heart of it. At one point, Nicholas' sister(the real one, not the version played by an actress) says with allsincerity, "Spain? That's, like, across the country!" It is plainlyobvious we're not dealing with the brightest sparks. But beingeducationally challenged does not mean dishonesty is not a factor.Director Bart Layton weaves the tale beautifully, never giving away toomuch in one go and his use of reconstruction blends perfectly with thegenuine interviews. The use of real person and actor for each'character' so often jars in TV documentaries leaving the viewerconfused as to who s/he is watching on the screen. Here, Layton hascast perfectly and the dual appearances compliment each other, blendingso it is neither noticeable nor important which version we arewatching.Star status is usually reserved for performers in feature films, notfactual documentaries, but Bourdin is so relaxed, so matter of fact inthe telling of his own version of events that he draws the viewer inand leaves us wanting to climb inside his head an know how his brainturns and how many teeth are missing from each cog.The Imposter, though unlikely to enthuse as wide an audience as lastyear's Project Nim or Senna, is a bizarre, chilling, surprising andthoroughly enthralling 99-minute eye-opening experience.For more reviews from The Squiss subscribe to my blog atwww.thesquiss.co.uk Like the Facebook page: http://on.fb.me/RpitOG

Sindre Kaspersen

(2013-04-19 23:44:14)

"Strangely humorous, gravely serious and puzzling mystery..."

British producer, screenwriter and documentary director Bart Layton'sfeature film debut is based on a French serial impostor named FrГѓВ©dГѓВ©ricBourdin. It premiered at the 28th Sundance International Film Festivalin 2012, was screened in the Zabaltegi-Pearls section at the 60th SanSebastiГѓВЎn International Film Festival in 2012 and is a UK productionwhich was produced by producer Dimitri Doganis. It tells the storyabout a 13-year old boy named Nicholas Barclay who during a summer in1994 disappears from his hometown in San Antonio, Texas in USA. Morethan three years later a traumatized boy is found by the police in thecity and municipality of Linares, Spain. He claims to be Nicholas and afamily convinced that their missing son has returned welcomes him home. Finely and intimately directed by British filmmaker Bart Layton, thisfast-paced fictional documentary/narrative feature which is mostlynarrated by and from the protagonist's point of view, draws aremarkable portrayal of an American family's sudden reunion with theiryoung son in the late 1990s. While notable for it's colorful milieudepictions, fine production design by production designers MarciaCalosio and Mariona Julbe and cinematography by cinematographers ErikWilson and Lynda Hall, this narrative-driven and interview-driven crimestory where fact and fiction is interlaced depicts a multifaceted studyof character about a person's impossible and deceptive attempt toescape from himself and contains a relieving and timely score bycomposer Anne Nikitin. This somewhat biographical, significantly atmospheric and instantlyengaging thriller about identity, the blinding yearning for love, theconsequences of one's childhood and upbringing and the wish to beanother person who in one's own perception is better and more lovable,is impelled and reinforced by it's fragmented narrative structure whichreflects the main character's tales and explanations, rhythmic editingby film editor Andrew Hulme, various characters, incredible andinterrelated stories and acting performances by theatre actor AdamO'Brian in his debut feature film role and British actress Anna Ruben.In this era it takes a lot for a film to be shocking or sensational,but this strangely humorous, gravely serious and puzzling mystery comespretty close to being exactly that.

Mondo_Giallo

(2013-04-14 12:47:13)

Strange days...

In 1994 in Texas, a 13 year old boy called Nicholas Barclay vanished.Three years later his family received a call from Spanish authoritiesinforming them that their son had been found loitering there. The boywas taken across the Atlantic and back to his family. The only troublewas that the boy now spoke with a French accent, was seven years older,was taller, had different coloured eyes and had a completely differentface. His personality was completely at odds to before and he didn'trecognise anybody or any place from his former home. Nicholas's familyaccepted him back into the fold with no concern.You often hear the phrase 'reality is stranger than fiction'. It's onethat usually annoys me a little as it is virtually never accurate andsimply a lazy clichГѓВ©. However, the story covered by this documentary isone of those rare occasions where it is undoubtedly true. If Hollywoodhad made a film with this plot the audience would be angered by theliberties being taken. They would think that they were being taken forfools with such a far-fetched story. Having seen The Imposter I stillcan't really fathom exactly how it came to be that con artist FrГѓВ©dГѓВ©ricBourdin ever got to first base with his scheme to take on anothercompletely dissimilar boy's identity. Perhaps it was a lethalcombination of components, namely a man who wants to con and a familywho, subconsciously or otherwise, wish to be conned.The film is structured quite cleverly where we begin by sort ofsympathising with Bourdin. At first he seems like a desperate youth whohas bit off more than he can chew and has put himself into a situationhe simply can no longer get himself out of easily. But as the filmenters its final moments we are given the full background on thisseemingly likable rogue and by the end we feel like we have been dupedby him too to a certain extent. The members of the Barclay family arecertainly an odd bunch. Are they really so stupid to have fallen forthis ludicrous hoax? Could any group of people be? Or is there moregoing on than immediately meets the eye? Were they so set on Nicholas'sreturn that they were willing to accept a replacement no matter what?Or was there more sinister reasons? The latter is explored whereallegations are made that family members actually were implicated inthe death of the boy, so this con man's appearance was something of agift. The family members of course refute this scenario and it was onepromoted by Bourdin who is hardly the most trustworthy source. Whateverthe case there were hints at troublesome history within the Barclayfamily, which seemed to involve serious hard drug taking. The olderbrother OD'd sometime around the time of this bizarre narrative tookplace.The story itself is fascinating in itself. You want to know how thiscould have happened although as I say many questions remain. But attimes there is a black absurdist comedy element to proceedings. This isquite often a result of how the participants describe how eventsunfolded but there are also peripheral characters who add light relief,such as the elderly private investigator who was fixated on ears.Having said all of this, it should never be forgotten that at the heartof this story is the disappearance and almost certain murder of a 13year old boy. According to the family it never even made the news,which is shocking in itself. So The Imposter is a documentary thatdetails an incident that began with a tragedy and then become absurd.FrГѓВ©dГѓВ©ric Bourdin's actions were cold and heartless in the way he gavefalse hope to a family and then kicked them when they were down. TheBarclays themselves remain a bit of a strange enigma.

Dharmendra Singh

(2013-04-14 01:12:28)

'I washed her brain'

If every detail of this didn't actually happen, it would be a fictionalbest-seller. Nicholas Barclay, a 13-year-old blonde-haired, blue-eyedTexan boy, went missing in 1994. Three years later, on a rainy night inSpain, a person made a call to the police, claiming to be that boy.That person was in fact mentally afflicted con artist Frederic Bourdin,an Algerian orphan, who had a history of impersonating missing andfictional children. What an intriguing story, I hear you say. There's no question that itis. It might have been even more intriguing if the US media hadn'tpresaged this documentary (and therefore limited its potential impact)by covering the story in minute detail at the time of its unearthing,only 15 years ago. Filmmaker Bart Layton chooses the annoying reconstruction technique,more at home in TV than in cinema; and yet he had the material for aheart-pounding thriller. Frederic Bourdin is allowed too much screentime, which he uses to gloat about how he ingeniously fooled theauthorities and Nicholas's family into believing the implausible reasonfor his radical physical transformation, memory loss and new Frenchaccent. This over-familiarity with the villain and his modus operandihelps sanitise him and makes him appear less dangerous. 'The Imposter' was not made purely for entertainment purposes. One ofthe themes of this bizarre story is whether Bourdin's actions wereacceptable. After all, he was an orphan whom the authorities didn'tcare much for. This was his way to be 'reborn' and to be loved by afamily who Bourdin still maintains never truly believed he was theirson, but nonetheless accepted him because he was willing to beaccepted. The twist in the tale came when Bourdin made a full confession todogged Private Investigator, Charlie Parker (who looks so much like afilm PI). Bourdin claimed that the family murdered Nicholas, andembraced him as a way of closing the case. I admit that a cold chillran down my spine every time Nicholas's mother is interviewed. Theblack t-shirt she wears with a blank expression, denying her guilt withverbose but carefully delivered sentences, does cause the question tohang. With all their power and their reputation, the Federal Bureau ofInvestigation fell for a trickster. It beggars belief. FBI agent NancyFisher talks at some length to defend her actions. Despite seriousreservations about his true identity, Frederic's correct identificationof some family photos (coincidentally showed to him by Nicholas'ssister a few days prior) was apparently enough for them to send him tothe States. And yet we're reminded of how rare it is for missing peopleto reappear (they're usually assumed dead). I do hope many were firedafter this fiasco. The family may have had their own reasons to be taken in by Bourdin,but the authorities - they couldn't have truly believed Bourdin wasNicholas, could they? Is it not just conceivable that this 'reunion'was allowed to happen because it allowed America to once again be theworld's greatest country? Who knows? What we do know is that NicholasBarclay is still missing, and Bourdin now lives in France with a wifeand three kids. www.moseleyb13.com

Ashley Conlan

(2013-03-27 09:32:23)

Who is the Imposter

This joins a top ten list of films to watch, trust me you will not beable to sleep after watching this. Its unique, complex, disturbing andmind blowing. The story is unbelievable but true. Its a roller coaster ride, the first half of the film absolutelyabsorbing with its tale of stolen identity, you are mesmerized with thefeeling of how the heck does he get away with this? surely at somepoint he will be exposed. Time and time again he seems to progress but then the story changes andbecomes very dark, this is where your catapulted out of your seat andturned inside out! the implications are there and you the viewer rightor wrong are left to be judge and jury. Of course our deepest respect to the family and their loss but you areleft with a lingering doubt regarding a certain family member nowdeceased. You almost feel who is the imposter? A story of a circlewithin a circle,a lesser evil meeting a greater evil.What does not help the family in my opinion is their, almost roboticemotionless scripted comments, surely one would be more emotionallyupset and very angry being duped? In fairness to the family how manyinterviews have they done to make their reactions now and I can seetheir motive that the film does raise awareness of the missing boy.I would recommend looking at the extras and the making of thedocumentary, if you don't normally do this I really suggest watch it.There is one new revelation, Fredrick the imposter claims under liedetector he had known Nicholas. What?! also a search on the internetshows Fredrick claims to have had 500 false identities. Yes. FiveHundred.I strongly also recommend showing this film to young people. Themessage being don't trust strangers, anyone can make things up andpretend to be something else.I hope this film will provide new evidence to solve the tragic case ofthe missing Nicholas. I hope Fredrick has received serious therapy tostop impersonating. I hope these things never happen but I know that'sjust wishful thinking.

Dharmendra Singh

(2013-03-26 20:52:03)

True or False?

If every detail of this didn't actually happen, it would be a fictionalbest-seller. Nicholas Barclay, a 13-year-old blonde-haired, blue-eyedTexan boy went missing in 1994. Three years later, on a rainy night inSpain, a person made a call to the police, claiming to be that boy.That person was in fact mentally afflicted con artist Frederic Bourdin,an Algerian orphan, who had a history of impersonating missing andfictional children. What an intriguing story, I hear you say. There's no question that itis. It might have been even more intriguing if the US media hadn'tpresaged this documentary, and therefore limited its potential impact,by covering the story in minute detail at the time of its unearthing,only 15 years ago. Filmmaker Bart Layton chooses the annoying reconstruction technique,more at home in TV than in cinema; and yet he had the material for aheart-pounding thriller. Frederic Bourdin is allowed too much screentime, which he uses to gloat about how he ingeniously fooled theauthorities and Nicholas's family into believing the implausible reasonfor his radical physical transformation, memory loss and new Frenchaccent. This over-familiarity with the villain and his modus operandihelps sanitise him and makes him appear less dangerous. 'The Imposter' was not made purely for entertainment purposes. Thedocumentary asks whether Bourdin's actions were acceptable; after all,he was an orphan whom the authorities didn't care much for. This washis way to be 'reborn' and to be loved by a family who Bourdin stillmaintains never truly believed he was their son, but nonethelessaccepted him because he was willing to be accepted. The twist in the tale came when Bourdin made a full confession todogged Private Investigator, Charlie Parker (who looks so much like afilm PI). Bourdin claimed that the family murdered Nicholas, andembraced him as a way of closing the case. I admit that a cold chillran down my spine every time Nicholas's mother is interviewed. Theblack t-shirt she wears with a blank expression, denying her guilt withverbose but carefully delivered sentences, does cause the question tohang. With all their power and their reputation, the Federal Bureau ofInvestigation fell for a trickster. It beggars belief. FBI agent NancyFisher talks at some length to defend her actions. Despite reservationsabout his true identity, Frederic's correct identification of somefamily photos (coincidentally showed to him by Nicholas's sister a fewdays prior) was apparently enough for them to send him to the States.And yet we're reminded of how rare it is for missing people to reappear(they're usually assumed dead). The family may have had their own reasons to be taken in by Bourdin,but the authorities - they couldn't have truly believed Bourdin wasNicholas, could they? Is it not just conceivable that this 'reunion'was allowed to happen because it allowed America to once again be theworld's greatest country? Who knows? What we do know is that NicholasBarclay is still missing, and Bourdin now lives happily in France witha wife and three kids.

Kitson P. Kelly

(2013-03-25 05:23:37)

Interesting...

I saw this film at it's European premiere last night at the EdinburghFilm Festival and I was very surprised. The first 1/3 of the film is awell stylized documentary but then this story, which goes fromimplausible to downright absurd. If the story wasn't true, you wouldfind yourself thinking that the director was trying to string you alongand at the very end pop out and say "naw, I was just kidding". Thereare so many parts of it the require you to suspend belief only toremind yourself it was reality.While there maybe no new information, the ability to portray complexsituations from the perspective of the participant remind us all thattruth and the human condition are relative. You are left withunanswered questions, doubts and just shaking your head. Well polished,well executed and well edited, there are few documentaries that cansuck you into them and actually wonder what is next.

dalydj-918-255175

(2013-03-25 00:03:41)

The Imposter doesn't prove in the end what the truth was

"The many theories the film has become too much that the film becomesoverly loaded with too much ideas that distract from the main point ofthis man who pretends to be missing children all over the world" The hell some people can be put through when someone is there family iseither murdered or missing can be horrible but when someone pretends tobe that person that is just the worst thing someone could do. Thedocumentary centres around a missing child case of a 13 year old boynamed Nicholas Barclay who went missing in 1994. Three years latersomeone in Spain pretends to be Nicholas which turns the film the inmuch different directions as you don't know whose story to believe inthe end.The film is a mix of real interviews from the family of Nicholas butalso we get some reenactments of scenes especially when FrГѓВ©dГѓВ©ricBourdin was in Spain preparing to be Nicholas to get into America. Thereenactments didn't work for me because I found them laughable how badthey were. Also the consistent use of FrГѓВ©dГѓВ©ric describing every minordetail in the first part of the film was annoying but it is adocumentary. The fact at the end there is no satisfying conclusionbecause Nicholas has not been found and FrГѓВ©dГѓВ©ric once free continues toact as different people was just strange. The interviews with thefamily did not convince me if they murdered Nicholas or not becausethey didn't seem to be telling the truth and just didn't want to comeout as the bad guys in the documentary. FrГѓВ©dГѓВ©ric of course comes out asthe bad guy when we are told of the many other crimes he committedpulling the same scheme and he never seemed ashamed of hurting peoplelike he did.FrГѓВ©dГѓВ©ric Bourdin was responsible for so much hurt for people and in theend he was not punished enough which made no sense especially since heknow lives a normal life after causing such horror for so much people.The family member who was the most honest to me was the sister Careybecause everything she recalled about the events seemed truthful andhonest even her final thoughts about FrГѓВ©dГѓВ©ric was believable. The useof the law in the film was insightful to listen to because they werethe ones telling all the facts about this horrible man.The film was a mess with the reenactments but the truthful interviewsfrom FrГѓВ©dГѓВ©ric Bourdin and Carey Gibson was enough to keep my attentionthroughout even if I found some of the documentary creepy andlaughable.MOVIE GRADE: C

michael_blackman

(2013-03-19 03:30:14)

Someone slap that kid

An obviously well made and decently budgeted documentary however Icouldn't stand watching a documentary that gives a podium to someweasel of a little maggot grinning and bragging on about how clever hethought he was for being so deceptive. However this film could be usedas a supreme example of the modern day American affliction of beingfluoridated, over medicated, dumb-ucated and vaccine-toxic making somany just plain stoopid. Seriously the weasel looks absolutely nothinglike their missing child even given a three year age difference. I hopeeveryone involved in this case (real life) were given an opportunity tokick the little bastard in the balls several times. 5/10 forproduction.

John DeSando

(2013-03-18 17:59:05)

Deception is the juicy game.

In 1994 a 13-year-old San Antonio boy, Nick Gibson, vanished, settingoff a chain of events to rival the most convoluted Hollywood thriller.The Imposter chronicles in re-enacted dramatic scenes, voice-over, andarchival footage the strange re-emergence of the boy, the controversysurrounding his initial disappearance and his return, and thesurprising theories that slowly emerge. Although the family readilyaccepts this young man (really 23-year-old Frederic Bourdin, found inSpain as their significantly-changed family member), a privatedetective notices a physical difference and a doctor determines theimprobability of losing his American accent, the story juices up (aftera slow first hour of set up) with some startling theories centering onthe family's uncritical acceptance of this long-lost child. In factmost of the principals appear to be fabricating, making discovery oftruth a challenge but always a delicious imitation of real life'sdeceptions. Hey, the film is not called "The Imposter" for nothing. Attimes, the documentary seems like a found footage Blair Witch, atothers a B film with artsy angles and moody lighting wishing to snagnational attention. Whatever, the actors are sufficiently liketrailer-trash Texans to gives us the feeling of authenticity.Disappointingly the film lacks depth when it tries to deconstruct theprotagonist's longing for familial love that leads him from Spain toTexas. Some fiction films have challenged viewers with this impostermotif, most notably Six Degrees of Separation and better, The Return ofMartin Guerre, in which a man returns from war significantly changed .Perhaps there can be no full understanding of misfits, who can, as thisfilm attests, be fun to watch as long as they Don't invade your family.Therefore, I have found a theme: Strangers bring change, sometimesprofound sometimes banal but usually never dull.