The Imposter

The Imposter demonstrates that truth can indeed be stranger than fiction, and reveals the sinister levels of deception some people resort to. The documentary tells the true story of how a French con artist convinced a grieving Texan family that he was their child, who had gone missing several years earlier.

The story begins with the disappearance of Nicholas Barclay, a 13-year-old boy from San Antonio, Texas, in June 1994. No one knew what had happened to him. Four years later, his family received a phone call from Linares, Spain. The voice on the phone claimed that their son had been found. The local embassy then arranged to reunite Nicholas with his family, and this is when the story takes a disturbing turn.

Nicholas’s sister was surprised when she was met by a different boy. Instead of the child she remembered, she encountered a teenager altered by age and apparent trauma. At the time of his disappearance, Nicholas was blond and had blue eyes, whereas this new Nicholas had dark hair, brown eyes, spoke with a French accent and — unbeknown to the family — was 23 years old. It soon becomes clear that the family had unknowingly welcomed a con man. Despite growing suspicions surrounding the dramatic physical differences, the new Nicholas was accepted. The Imposter underlines how innocence and naïve love can be exploited.

The documentary unfolds like a thriller. You expect the worst to happen, yet the narrative progresses in an intelligent and engaging way. It is unsettling but compelling. Director Bart Layton introduces the con man early in the film. He is Frédéric Bourdin, a Frenchman known to Interpol for identity theft. With a history of posing as missing teenagers, this case proved relatively easy for him. At times, the film shifts its focus to deception itself — both the deception of a family and self-deception — blurring the boundaries of truth.

Bourdin’s story has been told in various films and newspapers. The press dubbed him ‘The Chameleon’ because he has assumed over 500 different identities. Viewers might expect The Imposter to focus primarily on the deceived family, but the spotlight gradually shifts to Bourdin before they even realise it.