9.17.2016

Movies: The Imposter

I'd meant to see this some time ago, then forgot about it, and then heard it mentioned again on Pop Culture Happy Hour, so finally sat down and watched it.

The Imposter is a documentary about how renown identity thief Frédéric Bourdin convinced a family in San Antonio, Texas, that he was their missing brother/son Nicholas Barclay despite speaking with an accent and having the wrong color eyes. The lingering question becomes: Did the family know from the start that Bourdin was lying, and if so, why did they go along with it? Did they just want to believe, or had they done something to Nicholas that they needed to cover up by having a stand-in?

Despite a not entirely satisfying ending, it is an interesting story. Bourdin candidly explains his methods for assuming Nicholas' identity. The family members attempt to explain the wide range of emotions that rocked them as well. But the real star comes late to the stage—private investigator Charlie Parker is quite fun to listen to. I also enjoyed the perspective of FBI agent Nancy Fisher.

If you like other documentaries like Catfish or Capturing the Friedmans, you'll probably enjoy this one.

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