Review of The Imposter (2012) by Johnny T — 14 Jan 2016

A true crime tale with added layers of intrigue and atmosphere, The Imposter is poised for better than average documentary business in both theatrical and ancillary. The Imposter is a fascinating story, but it's about as reliable as Bourdin - a veteran liar who, significantly, is allowed to dominate the picture. Layton may be making a sophisticated point about the elusive nature of truth but at the same time, it's a point made at the expense of the Barclays. The Imposter examines a bizarre series of events that occurred mostly in the 1990s. Why it is just now grist for a full-length documentary might be because no one found a way to tell the story. Layton makes so many risky choices in presenting this material that when almost all of them pay off, you can't imagine the story being told any other way. Benefiting from outstanding contributions by cinematographers Erik Wilson and Lynda Hall, and composer Anne Nikitin, Layton creates a noirish dream state of slickness, shadows and continual disbelief. To get added drama to the true story, Layton combines actual interviews with staging, the aforementioned mix of doc and docudrama.The dense storytelling, heavy thematic burdens and endlessly conflicting perspectives could have spun The Imposter right off the rails had Layton's hold not been so assured. The solutions may not be satisfying, but they are certainly entertaining.

VERDICT: "In The Zone" - [Mixed Reaction] These kinds of movies are usually movies that had some good things, but some bad things kept it from being amazing. This rating says buy an ex-rental or a cheap price of the DVD to own. If you consider cinema, ask for people's opinion on the film. (Films that are rated 2.5 or 3 stars).