Review of The Imposter (2012) by Gary N — 30 Aug 2012
True story Documentary about the disappearance of a 13 yr old boy- and the man who stole his identity and returned to take his place 4 years later.
Astonishing as it is chilling- the events unfold with typical talking heads disclosure of the imposter and his "family"- with re-enactments of key events. The format may seem bog standard, but the multiple layers of deceit, suspicion, hope & despair create a powerful cocktail. Given the sheer audacity of the "imposter"- viewers might sit back and say "how could everyone be so stupid to believe him?".
However, the film is clever enough to allow this sociopathic liar to use his adept skill set to sucker the audience somewhat- you are listening to this guys account and have to sit back and wonder "how much is true?".
The lower class American family are.
Implicated by the imposter as being as guilty as him, of going along with, questioning their motives and much worse besides.
Don't be put off by this being a documentary, it's far better than the regurgitating Hollywood movie machine pumping out remake drivel & and daft action flicks ( Bourne Legacy, Total Recall & Expendibles 2).
This deserves attention and joins other great doc's such as "Man on a wire" and "Hoop Dreams".
This review of The Imposter (2012) was written by Gary N on 30 Aug 2012.
The Imposter has generally received very positive reviews.
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