This is an interesting film both in terms of format and content.  It is essentially the story of a boy being found in Spain in 1997, wet and silent, not talking to anyone.  After some trying he eventually reveals he is a young boy who went missing three years previously…or is he.  Having taking the identity from records at hand and through phone calls where he persuades US officials that he is the missing American boy.

The authorities put the boy in touch with his family, with his sister travelling to Spain to be reunited with him. Despite obvious physical differences he is taken in by the family.

The movie is the boy, now grown, a Frédéric Bourdin, retelling what transpired.  As the boy was reunited with his “family” back in Texas certain inconsistencies start to arise. One local private detective and another FBI agent independently look in to things. Why are the family so accepting of him? Are they hiding their own secret?

Eventually the answers to the boy’s identity come to light, and what we have is an astounding history from Bourdin.  I am not going in to detail as it is the uncovering of these details as the movie progress that makes it good cinema.

Director, Bart Layton (Banged up Abroad, 2006) has made his name in TV this is a rare trip to the big screen for him with a format which is often more typical of cable TV and often mind numbingly bad. This is not. It is well timed, well shot and keeps you engrossed to learn the eventual outcome.

This is a short note but the movie is straight forward and moves clearly.

Rating 8/10 this is a different piece of work which I was skeptical about prior to seeing, now I recommend.