The Imposter (2012)
Director: Bart Layton (Locked Up Abroad)
Genre: Documentary | Mystery (95 minutes)
In 1994, 13-year-old Nicholas Barclay disappeared from his San Antonio Texas home. Since he had run away before, his family first thought he would eventually return. But by 1997, when Nicholas had been gone for over 3 years, there was little hope that he’d be found alive. His sister tells about the emotions… “crying, mad, scared, empowered, determined, sad.” That’s when the call came in. “You’re not going to believe this… we got a call from Spain… how did he get there? We just wanted to see him and touch him.” In Spain, the police had gotten a call about a lost kid. When they found him on that stormy night, he seemed like a scared 17-year-old. That’s when Frédéric Bourdin tells us how he first pretended to be a tourist… he phoned the police about a lost boy. When the police arrived, 23-year-old Frédéric pretended to be a lost 17-year-old. He knew things would go better if he pretended to be a boy rather than a man. “I wanted to provoke in them a sense of pity. I didn’t say much but let them think I’d been sexually abused. Eventually, they’d have to put me in a shelter.” That’s all Frédéric wanted… a safe place to stay.
But the police insisted on investigating. One thing led to another, and Frédéric decided his best option was to pretend to be a missing American, Nicholas Barclay. It looked plausible, after seeing a poor quality fax. He had someone in the shelter give him 3 tattoos that matched those described on Nicholas’s FBI sheet. By the time Nicholas’s sister was on her way, dark-haired, dark-eyed Frédéric saw a better photo of blond, blue-eyed Nicholas. He knew they’d never buy the deception, but he bleached his hair anyway. When Nicholas’s sister embraced him, no one was more surprised than Frédéric. Frédéric went along with it, because it felt so nice to “finally belong.” (And besides, what choice did he have?) They took him back to Texas. Even the media got involved, putting the bizarre story on national TV. Of course, not everyone bought the story. Many thought it was just ridiculous to think the Algerian man could possibly be the blond, blue-eyed boy who disappeared 3 years ago. But sometimes facts are stranger than fiction.
I don’t want to give away the ending, but we in the audience know that Frédéric isn’t Nicholas right from the beginning. The question is… why doesn’t Nicholas’s family know? That’s a question that puzzled many, and some wanted to get to the bottom of things. It’s a whacky tale, well told. It’s done partially in reenactments and partly in interviews and live footage. There’s an element of mystery that will keep you guessing. Even Frédéric is surprised when Nicholas’s sister calls home from Spain… “Are you sitting down? You’re not going to believe this… it’s him!”
3 popped kernels
A Texas family really wants to believe the dark-haired imposter is their missing blond-haired boy
Popcorn Profile
Rated: R (Language, crime)
Audience: Grown-ups
Distribution: Art house
Mood: Neutral
Tempo: In no hurry
Visual Style: Unvarnished realism
Character Development: Engaging
Language: True to life
Social Significance: Thought provoking
