Review of The Imposter (2012) by Jonathan H — 01 Jan 2013

In the first couple of minutes of The Imposter, we hear a recorded call with captions placing the call in time; then the film is rewound and we hear it again. The Imposter is a fairly straightforward tale of identity theft but a tale that needs this constant revision. Everything one hears in its turn requires closer scrutiny. Director Bart Layton's triumph is to follow each thread of the story through, only increasing the layers of information when the tale demands it. This is a captivating and chilling story, beautifully explored by Layton. He blurs the boundaries between a documentary and blockbuster. Even though Layton allows you to be aware that Frederic is not the real Nicholas Barclay from the outset, he teasingly feeds you fragments of the story piece by piece from the perspectives of the family members, the officials and Frederic himself. The product is a gripping thriller, heightened by the knowledge that it is a true story and by the mesmerizing stylized cinematography, including some eery moving portraits of the family members accepting an obvious stranger into their home. This is just one of the many striking images in this film that will stay with me for a long time.

There's more to the composition than this, of course. Layton's interviews are impeccably collated so that one has the feeling that at all times the individual telling their story is being honest, even when they might look a bit silly. It's also a great achievement to end with a greater mystery than those that tumble forward as the story rolls on. Frederic Bourdin is the great draw of the show, as candid as Joe Simpson in Touching The Void. The editing helps make the point where others would have resorted to interpolated exposition. There's also a nice, unobtrusive soundtrack by Anne Nikitin which follows almost exactly the emotional temperature of the film.

Provoking questions about identity, human nature, society and national security, The Imposter keeps you eager with anticipation while you bathe in the beauty of the images crafted by Layton. It's a brilliant documentary that plays like a thriller. This is easily one of the best films of 2012, and one that really drives home the notion that truth is stranger than fiction.