Review: The Imposter

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The Imposter

"Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't." 
--Mark Twain

This statement is a perfect metaphor for the documentary The Imposter, which screened at SXSW 2012 and returns to Austin theaters on Friday. The Imposter tells the story of Nicholas Barclay and Frederic Bourdin. Nicholas is a boy from San Antonio who disappeared one day in 1994 after playing basketball with friends. Frederic is a serial imposter who in 1997 managed to convince Barclay's family as well as authorities in Spain and the U.S. that he was Nicholas. This story would make an interesting piece of fiction if it were not true. It definitely makes for an interesting documentary.

The movie was directed by Bart Layton, who is known for creating the British TV series Locked Up Abroad. Layton's extensive experience making documentaries shows in this movie, his first feature. The Imposter uses a style similar to the one found in Locked Up Abroad (yes, I have seen a few). Extensive use of interviews as well as re-creations of events breathe life into Barclay and Bourdin's joint story.

One refreshing thing about The Imposter is its use of interviews with the story's actual protagonists. Barclay's sister, mother and other family members are interviewed extensively. Every time you see them onscreen you cannot help but scream to yourself, "What the heck were you thinking?"

But the most interesting interviews come from Bourdin himself. Bourdin is the leading man of this story and the information provided from his interviews provides insights seldom captured in documentaries. It does not take long for you to notice Bourdin's charismatic demeanor. Bourdin was as incredulous as you will be, when realizing that people actually fell for his story of kidnapping and abuse.

Throughout the film you wonder how a dark-haired, brown-eyed, Spanish grownup could impersonate a blue-eyed blond kid from the San Antonio suburbs. You have to wonder how the Spanish and U.S. embassies, the FBI and Barclay's family could miss such an obvious case of impersonation. I guess the promise of hope can sometimes cause people to become blind to reality.

Texas connections: Many of the events recounted in The Imposter take place in San Antonio.