The Imposter (2012, dir. Bart Layton) ***.5/****

The Imposter is an intriguing documentary telling the story of a Frenchman who convinces a Texas family that he is the 16 year old boy who went missing 3 years previously.  It is expertly told by director Bart Layton using real-life interviews and recreations that seamlessly blend together.  It raises questions about how a family could be convinced that a 23-year old with a French accent could be accepted as 16 year old who went missing 3 years previously.  The boy supposedly turns up in Spain and the family is at first, very happy to have found him.  Slowly, the documentary unravels the long line of deceit that has been built up by the individual posing as their lost child.  It is a tragic, surprising, mysterious, and bewildering account of mistaken identity.  It offers no solutions but is highly entertaining.