The Imposter

The Imposter is a visually stunning documentary that lingers in your memory and leaves you with many questions. It is an odd story that is absolutely mind boggling. How did it work? Where is the child? How can you top so many lies on top of each other? The true story is told with fantastic visuals and recreations. It reminded of the fantastic book A Devil in the White City. Both are nonfiction stories of false identities, death and deep lies. They tell true stories in immensely entertaining ways. I loved every second of each experience and applaud their creators. They found ways to capture the spirit of these larger than life characters and give you a 95 minute wild ride.

The Imposter is the story of a 13 year old boy who disappeared from his home in San Antonio. Three and a half years later he is found alive in Spain. The problem is that he has a French accent, brown eyes (the missing boy had blue eyes) is seven years older and named Frederic Bourdon. The family accepted him and the story gets weirder and weirder. The lies get deeper and the man actually gets people to believe a  story about military kidnappings that involve broken bones and rape.

It doesn’t stop there and it would be terrible if I gave away the rest of the film. It is beautiful to look and thrilling to watch. It floors you with it’s weirdness. You will sit on the edge of your seat with each new discovery. You will probably never know what happened but that is why it is so thrilling. Is the narrator conning people once again? Can we trust the narrator? Can we trust the family who took him in?

It is hard to believe that The Imposter is true. That is why it is so thrilling. The directors usage of reenactments, home videos and talking heads create an atmosphere you can’t trust. I can’t think of the last time a film/documentary drew me in so deep.

Watch The Imposter. Appreciate the story. Prepare to ask many questions.