A&E IndieFilms, Film4, Protagonist Pictures,
Frederic Bourdin, Adam O’ Brian, Carey Gibson, Anna Ruben, Beverly Dollarhide, Cathy Dresbach, Charlie Parker, Alan Teichman, Nancy Fisher, Ivan Villanueva
This film is a documentary about the 1997 case of French con-man Frederic Bourdin who had a long history of impersonating missing children. When he was caught in Spain and about to be found out, he took the identity of a Texas boy who had been missing for 3 years. When the boy’s sister came to pick him up, she brought him home where he was able to convince a lot of the family that he was their son, even though he had little resemblance to the boy. He told a story of abduction, torture, and rape. Still some were suspicious, but none more than detective Charles Parker who wanted to prove the boy a fake. Many thought some of the family may know or have been involved with the boy’s disappearance, and so the major players in the story appear to tell their side of the story bit by bit.
This is an exciting film, in many ways like a real crime drama, but the story is true. The film isn’t going to solve all the mysteries, but it does try to look as closely as possible into the different tales that the different people tell. The movie moves along at a good enough pace, so it’s not dry or boring as many documentaries are. In fact, very highly acclaimed by the audiences at Sundance, and by the critics, it keeps you on your toes as you go through the story. I have my opinion on who is right, but it’s only my opinion. There doesn’t seem to be any factual evidence that proves one theory or another. If you’re interested in a true life story, a documentary tale, this is one of the better one’s I have seen. This film may be off the radar for most folks, but it available on DVD and hopefully will catch some notice by the public.
EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog
