The Imposter - 2012 - Frederic Bourdin.

Terrifying.

The Imposter is the devastating true story of Nicholas Barclay, a thirteen year old boy who went missing on June 13th 1994. Three years later it is reported that he has been found in Spain. Understandably overwhelmed with joy, his family come to get him and bring him home, however, all is not as it seems. The boy found in Spain speaks with a strange accent and has a different eye colour, yet the family fail to notice these glaring differences. It's only with further investigation that things begin to be seen for what they really are. How is it that Frederic Bourdin, a twenty three year old Frenchman, convinced this Texan family that he was their sixteen year old son? Or did he?

This documentary shows Frederic Bourdin and the family in question telling their sides of the story. This is a man who has taken on many identities in a very short time, but how deep do his crimes go? Bart Layton delivers a powerful documentary that highlights how easy it can be to get what you want, providing you are convincing. Furthermore, Layton does well to show how Bourdin's talent of deception can not only be destructive, but also self-destructive, in that his addiction to lying is, more than anything, an illness.

When watching The Imposter you are constantly asking yourself questions about the family, bewildered at how they cannot see the obvious inconsistencies between Nicholas and Frederic. Yet, the overall issue from this film is whether or not the family simply wanted Frederic to be their Nicholas so much that they couldn't believe that he was anybody else, or whether something more sinister was going on.

Layton creates a documentary that will leave you on the edge of your seat. The terrifying events that occur during this film flow so brilliantly that the thrill created is just as gripping as any Hollywood thriller ever created. My favourite documentary of 2012.

J.Henderson

9/10.