The Imposter is an extraordinary document of an unbelievable crime.  In 1993, a 13-year-old boy vanished without a trace in San Antonio, Texas.  Three years later, the boy turns up in Spain and his family strangely welcomes him back despite his new accent and looks.  This is the story of how the 23-year-old France-born serial imposter Frederic Bourdin invaded the home of a grieving family who may be holding secrets of their own.  Events unfold through dramatic reenactments and talking head interviews with the family, the FBI agent who oversaw Bourdin, a nosy P.I. who led to his discovery, and the moody master manipulator himself.  Bourdin’s abilities are instantly evident and the filmmaker wisely adapts many of these techniques in order to craft a mystery that never lets up on the jaw-dropping twists.  Expect to feel manipulated, in a good way.  Easily the best doc I’ve seen this year.

The Imposter opens today at the Ritz at the Bourse.

Official site.