Director: Bart Layton
Cast: Frederic Bourdin, Carey Gibson, Beverly Dollarhide
Running time: 99 minutes
Certificate: 15
Synopsis: The story of a French man who convinced an American family he was their lost teenage son is told by the family, investigators into the case, and the imposter himself, showing the grueling process of losing someone and finding them again, only to discover it is a lie
The past week critics have been raving over the documentary, THE GIRL WHO BECAME THREE BOYS, the story of a girl who took on three male identities to seduce her friends. THE IMPOSTER is a similar tale – one that would be hard to fabricate. After all, the series of events of so absurd. This is also what makes the THE IMPOSTER so intriguing, and viewers will want to know the full story from the outset.
In addition, director Bart Layton puts together re-enactments and interviews brilliantly. Stories are told by Carey Gibson, missing boy Nicholas’ sister, as well as her husband, mother, and FBI agents that worked on the case. Of course, the most thrilling interviewee is the imposter himself, Frederic Bourdin. He recounts his lies and manipulations in such an honest way, it feels as if he might actually be an actor. His smile is taunting, his confidence disturbing, but his pride is ultimately his downfall. However, it’s difficult to hate him; his confessions are intertwined with his childhood sob stories. He justifies his actions by remembering his bad upbringing and desire to find someone who would love him like their own.
THE IMPOSTER makes no attempt to find out the real. This is not the story of a missing boy, but a story of deception, from not only Frederic but also the family, who allowed themselves to believe 23-year-old Bourdin was in fact their 14-year-old son. It’s utterly compelling and an intense experience; there are documentaries, mockumentaries and films based on true events, but THE IMPOSTER is in a league of its own. The brilliant combination of elements – interviews, re-enacted scenes from witnesses’ stories, a great soundtrack, and smart editing – make THE IMPOSTER an experience rather than a documentary.
Whilst it’s an honest retelling of what happened back in 1997, there is no objective truth; everyone tells their story so convincingly, it’s difficult to not believe each of them. As the interviews develop – telling of incidents, meetings, and revelations, as if they’re happening now – the documentary builds perfectly to the twists and turns of the story. This structure is the true key to THE IMPOSTER’s brilliance. The film reaches a point where all parties turn against each other, even though their stories had been synchronized before. As such, the suspense built in this documentary is on a par to a very well written thriller.
It’s also entertaining to see the American authorities and media’s take on the events, trying to convince everyone that Bourdin’s stole the boy’s identity because he was desperate for an American citizenship. Bourdin on the other hand, tries to convince he was pushed into it, but it’s difficult to not assume that he did it for the game. He wanted to play a part, and do it well, but did he do it well enough? Parents may find it difficult to accept a family would bring a stranger into their home. Did they miss him so much they were ready to blindly believe that a much taller man, with brown, not blue eyes, and a French accent was their missing loved one just because he said he was?
THE IMPOSTER also has a surprising comic tone; there are in fact laugh out loud scenes, which seem odd when one remembers the film started with a missing child who to this day has still not been found. Some laughs were thanks to the absurdity of the situation: a grown man pretending he’s been the victim of a sex slavery ring and now is too damaged to bear any resemblance to Nicholas is bizarre; not for his trying, but for succeeding. Other comic moments have been inserted by the filmmaker, their purpose undisclosed. Though this may feel inappropriate, it does work in stepping the film away from Nicholas’ actual disappearance and toward the story of a grieving family and the man who infiltrated it.
THE IMPOSTER is out now
