The Imposter is one of the most fascinating documentaries you will see this year. The story is so bizarre that if a Hollywood screenwriter had written this story, no producer would touch it!!
In 1994,Nicholas Barclay then 13 years old,disappeared from his home in Texas. His family were understandably distraught. Three years later, a teenager claiming to be Nicholas was found in Spain! He looked nothing like Nicholas, and he spoke English with a French accent. Can this person be the Barclay family's lost relative? The clue is in the film's title. He was in fact a French man called Frederic Bourdin.
What makes this story compelling is the fact Bourdin hoodwinked both the Spanish and the American authorities. Even more shocking than that is that the Barclay family believed that he was Nicholas and welcomed back into their home!Nicholas's mother, sister,nephew and brother in law are were all deceived.The desire to believe was so strong that they embraced him and his story about his abduction. His story of how he got from Texas to Spain is shocking.
We are given insights into what motivated Bourdin, who is an extremely skilled conman. He came from a troubled background, and he wanted to be loved and accepted by a family. The Barclays fit the bill.
We also see how a traumatised family that would swallow his lies even when it's clear to us, the audience, that he is clearly a bullshit artist on an epic scale.Special mention must be made to dogged private investigator Charlie Parker, who smelt a rat from the moment "Nicholas" hits the media spotlight. He steals every scene!!!The tragedy of this story is that we are no nearer to the whereabouts of the real Nicholas.
This is an amazing documentary that will grip you from start to finish. Go and see it and then tell everyone you know about it.
In 1994,Nicholas Barclay then 13 years old,disappeared from his home in Texas. His family were understandably distraught. Three years later, a teenager claiming to be Nicholas was found in Spain! He looked nothing like Nicholas, and he spoke English with a French accent. Can this person be the Barclay family's lost relative? The clue is in the film's title. He was in fact a French man called Frederic Bourdin.
What makes this story compelling is the fact Bourdin hoodwinked both the Spanish and the American authorities. Even more shocking than that is that the Barclay family believed that he was Nicholas and welcomed back into their home!Nicholas's mother, sister,nephew and brother in law are were all deceived.The desire to believe was so strong that they embraced him and his story about his abduction. His story of how he got from Texas to Spain is shocking.
We are given insights into what motivated Bourdin, who is an extremely skilled conman. He came from a troubled background, and he wanted to be loved and accepted by a family. The Barclays fit the bill.
We also see how a traumatised family that would swallow his lies even when it's clear to us, the audience, that he is clearly a bullshit artist on an epic scale.Special mention must be made to dogged private investigator Charlie Parker, who smelt a rat from the moment "Nicholas" hits the media spotlight. He steals every scene!!!The tragedy of this story is that we are no nearer to the whereabouts of the real Nicholas.
This is an amazing documentary that will grip you from start to finish. Go and see it and then tell everyone you know about it.