Last semester, I had the opportunity to take a course called Documenting Reality, abroad in London. The course was based around U.K documentaries and non-fiction, English filmmakers and production companies. We screened many different styles and themes of documentaries but my favorite one was our last, The Imposter. I recently introduced it to a bunch of my friends here and they all loved it as well. It almost comes across as a fiction feature film because of how wild the storyline is, the inclusion of reenacted scenes (which usually come off really cheesy), and how cinematically shot and scored it is. One point that was brought up after watching it with my friends was how impossible and unbelievable this film would have been, had it been produced as a fiction film. The use of interview of the people involved makes it that much more real and unsettling, at times, as the story unfolds. This is part of why I believe this is such an amazing film; anyone, not even particular fans of non-fiction, can enjoy it. The Imposter is proof that non-fiction stories are just as good, if not better than fiction ones. I would highly recommend this film to anyone (luckily it is on Netflix!).
The Imposter (2012)
Directed by Bart Layton
