MovieChat Forums > The Imposter (2012) Discussion > Not so much about the movie, but about t...

Not so much about the movie, but about the actual events...

posted 12 years ago by trippingbomb
26 replies | jump to latest

When Bourdin was left in the office overnight, he called American authorities... and according to him, he described himself so that they might find some sort of a match.

So why did they suggest it might be Nicholas, even after he described a boy with brown hair and brown eyes? The only similarity was the gap in his teeth. And one of the main identifying features on Nicholas' missing poster were his tattoos, which - as far as I'm aware - would be an incredibly strange thing for a child to have!

So why did they suggest him and why did Bourdin go along with it, despite being somebody SO different? Surely there was a missing child somewhere in America with brown hair and brown eyes (and no tattoos!) who he could have impersonated slightly more convincingly?

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[–] backofthevan 11 years ago

And, on top of that, why on god's green earth would the authorities in Spain leave this guy alone in their office overnight? That just staggers me. He says: "let me sleep in the office tonight" and they say "sure"??? Why would anyone let any outsider stay overnight in their office, unaccompanied? Was every parent/relative/authority figure in this sad story a complete moron? Or just incredibly naive? I know it's a true story but everyone involved - other than the evil Bourdin - acts like a total idiot and it's really hard to believe the whole thing. I DO believe it, I just shake my head at the mass stupidity.

[–] sinisac 11 years ago

Stupidity annoys you? Then how did you feel in the last part of the movie when they say how Bourdin is still calling FROM HIS CELL and causing trouble .
I mean when did you ever see that prison inmates have phone by their bed!!??
And yet somehow this guy has it.

[–] bobbobbob123 11 years ago

They did that so Connie Chung would have something to report on.

[–] christyb-329-840404 11 years ago

Prison inmates very much have access to cell phones in their cells.. They are all over the prisons although not legally..

[–] brendon-mckenzie 11 years ago

Duh, that's why they're called cell phones.

[–] clunkygirl 10 years ago

I don't think he's still in prison, I've read that he has four children with his wife.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] bobbobbob123 11 years ago

So why did they suggest it might be Nicholas, even after he described a boy with brown hair and brown eyes?

Who says he said that? In the film, he doesn't mention if he says his coloration, only age, nationality, and "details I know that I can handle". He also adds "I wanted to be vague enough for her to ... have many different possible [matches]".

The only similarity was the gap in his teeth.

The film present this as a coincidence.

tattoos, which - as far as I'm aware - would be an incredibly strange thing for a child to have!

Indeed, strange!

why did Bourdin go along with it, despite being somebody SO different?

It's quite clear in the film that he picked the boy based on a black and white fax. Did you fall asleep during that part?

[–] fillshertease 11 years ago

Interestingly enough, both of my parents had blonde hair when they were young but dark brown hair as adults. Similarly my sister and I both had blonde hair when we were kids but it turned brown during our teens. So there you go...

:-)

"He who chooses his own path requires no map..." - Queen Kristina of Sweden

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] wrdsmth 11 years ago

Yep that eye thing was weird. Most blonds however do go dark as adults.
I didn't even know one could have a phone in his cell inside prison.
And the fact that this guy got someone to marry him and reproduce three times is a bit weird too.
Even though I did feel sorry for him if his "real" story about his childhood was true. Nonetheless, I think years of counseling and some soul searching would be in order before he could share a life with another human being.
Lastly, the whole thing would have made a lot more sense had the family murdered him. But then I guess none of us know how we would respond in a similar situation. And I personally never wish to find out.

[–] NoJealousy 11 years ago

The Night Stalker, Richard Ramirez, had many women that were interested in him write to him while he was in prison and he started seeing one of them.

[–] wrdsmth 11 years ago

Yes, a lot of man in prison (regardless of how heinous the crime they are accused of committing) have many women interested in them. Women love to take care of things-no matter how messy or messed up.

[–] Kelea7 11 years ago

I do see where the difference in hair color would be more plausible than the eyes changing color, but wouldn't that change have occurred years before? Like before puberty or something? I've always wondered what the cutoff age is because after a certain time such a significant change from light to dark hair just doesn't happen often. Well, from what I've seen it's always been early childhood.

[–] pt100 10 years ago

In fact eye color can change. Changes (lightening or darkening) of eye colors during puberty, early childhood, pregnancy, and sometimes after serious trauma (like heterochromia) do represent cause for plausible argument to state that some eyes can or do change, based on chemical reactions and hormonal changes within the body.

Studies on Caucasian twins, both fraternal and identical, have shown that eye color over time can be subject to change, and major demelanization of the iris may also be genetically determined. Most eye-color changes have been observed or reported in the Caucasian population with hazel and amber eyes.

[–] m.p. 8 years ago

Nicholas would not have been an adult ... more like 16. And if it got darker as he got older, not likely a very dark almost black shade. Don't forget the imposter was swarthy and half Moroccan. His own grandfather rejected him for not being "white."

[–] smek2 11 years ago

Best part of the movie is, when Nicolas sister says, at the end, that Bourdin is a habitual liar and how anyone could actually beleive a word of what he is saying. My irony-o-meter actually exploded.

[–] lynseylinzlu 11 years ago

But then this is the point isnt it? so much of it was so unbelievable that he got away with it but then the twist at the end with the accusations against the family could possibly explain how they believed it.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] lerouge 11 years ago

I concur to that one...same in my village (west coast Scotland), one girl with India Ink did that to a bunch of us drunk 13 year olds! And I had been an altar boy hehehe!

[–] ccastine 11 years ago

in the documentary i think i remember him specifically saying he was very general, saying missing for a few years, gap tooth, rough age. then when they sent the fax the picture was so bad he didn't think much of it until he saw a clearer picture and realized he was blonde hair blue eyed.

[–] Off-chka 9 years ago

But why wouldn't he be more specific, so they'd find a kid who actually looked like him? You can definitely find lots of boys in the US who went missing who had brown hair and brown eyes.

[–] theplotterist 11 years ago

Part of this could be due to Bourdin's lack of English speaking abilities.

Bourdin didn't expect it to work. He was throwing crap and the wall to see what would stick. He was panicking but was still a master at getting more information than he ever gave to people.

He probably expected to be busted right there in Spain, yet somehow have time to escape the orphanage in the process. Of course he knew the blue eyes wouldn't match him, but he didn't know how stupid the FBI was or how much this family in Texas needed a boy to replace their son (for their own nefarious reasons.) The Spanish authorities doubted he was the right kid, but the sister was adamant and fed him confirming info.

This is truly a case where a sociopath found a situation that matched his pathology (with an idiot FBI agent in between.)

[–] dedoc1967 11 years ago

Speaking of the authorities in that Spanish youth center, I keep wondering why none of them were curious why this "American" boy with a French accent suddenly felt compelled to bleach his hair blond and tattoo his hand. Did they themselves not see the change just prior to the sister coming? Certainly it should have been a red flag. Maybe they were apathetic bureaucrats who were happy to have one less ward on their hands.

[–] secw 11 years ago

dont you remember that he keep hide his face under the hood and caps, and the police doesnt force him to show his face. Because they're afraid to hurt him (at this point he makes himself to looks like terified boy)

[–] PoppyTransfusion 11 years ago

The FBI agent wasn't an idiot. She was sceptical from the outset but was persuaded that he must be who he said he was because the family embraced him. Gradually she realised that the family were covering up too and this was their part in the pretence.

Why do you refuse to remember me?