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Late to the Party, but WOW!


Okay, I just finished watching this film for the first time. I'd heard of it years ago, but it's one that slipped through the cracks for me. But, thank God, I finally got to see it. I found it completely and utterly fascinating, in the vein of "The Woman Who Wasn't There" (2012) and "The Imposter" (2012). Does anyone know anything about Doug Bruce today?

I have a couple of questions. Did anyone else spot that when they were listing the items Bruce had in his backpack, that the "mild pain killers" had the word "sleep" printed on it? Is it possible they were sleeping pills? Did he try to kill himself, then change his mind? Maybe had a "Come to Jesus" moment? Or did Doug do something horrific in those 11 hours that he was "missing"?

Next: Is it possible that Bruce discovered some traumatic experience from his past that he decided simply to run from? The worst thing I can imagine is sexual abuse. Is it possible his decision (if that's what it was) to forget everything was due to the fact that he believed he was abused as a child? His sister, Christina, mentioned that it was odd that Doug did not ask anything about his past, his childhood. I noticed that, toward the end, when Bruce spoke to his father, his father supported Doug's questions. Ivan said something to the effect of who better to give you opinions of yourself than your family. Doug then questioned the validity of his family's judgment. His poor father's face went blank. Is it possible that Doug has lost all definition of family?

Last thing: Does anyone know how old Doug was when his mother passed? I lost my mother when I was 30. That was certainly a defining experience in my life. Is it possible he didn't grieve then, as Christina said? Plus she mentioned how stressed he was by his job. (Oh, the joys of being the Idle Rich.) And he could never calm down after work. He was a stockbroker. Think he was doing some cocaine?

So, if you cannot tell, I'm just not sure that he is faking. It's quite brilliant, really, because there's no way to prove it. If he is faking, the truth will come out some day. It always does. Either way, fake or not, the story is heartbreaking. And definitely worth watching.

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