THE IMPOSTER

It has been said time and time again that truth is stranger than fiction. Nowhere is this more evident than in the oft-overlooked category of documentary.

In the cinema, the genre of documentary has been distorted of late with horror writers trying to recreate the success of films such as The Blair Witch Project with the use of "found footage" in the style of a loosely-themed documentary -Troll Hunter, The Devil Inside - but to those who are willing to take the chance and try something alittle different, there are gems out there to be discovered - Project Nim, Catfish...

Now, another opportunity to not see the genre as only something that appears on BBC2 or Channel 4 during weekday evenings presents itself with the added punch of "if it wasn't true, you wouldn't believe it happened" weaved into it its very core.

Director Layton seems to have taken onboard suggestions from the producer of the riveting doc Man On Wire and used them to create a slow-buring but none-the-less engrossing depiction of the lengths that people can go to to either disguise or accept human nature in all its weird wonder. Within the first ten minutes you are presented with the full story - that of the disappearance of Nicholas Barclay from his home and family in June 1994 and his subsequent discovery three years later in a small town in Spain. So far, so back page news. Then, the screen pauses and the footage rewinds back to the beginning and all the details and interviews between the highlights are laid out for the audience to digest, contemplate and decide on whether they could have done the same things in the those circumstances.

With the combination of interviews with all the real people involved and recreations of the events they describe, Layton is able to pull you along to exactly where he wants you to be - a place of suspended disbelief of why and how a 23 year old Frenchman would pass himself off as a missing 12 year old Texan boy AND then be taken in by the family of said missing boy. But for this to be a 'doc that would rock" your world, it obviously doesn't end there. The Frenchman Bourdin is frankly mesmerising as he explains calmly and plainly the reasons of why he needed to take the identity of a missing child and, as the story progresses, more and more incredulously at what the family around him accepted and his reasons for why they did according to him. This, tied in with the actions of the authorities and their intentions behind them - to look good in the eyes of the press and respective superiors - puts you into a perfect state to be led rather than to guess at the unfolding events. You think that the story of the family and their interloper will end up with a frankly Jerry Springer-esque finale but, as stated before, fact is stranger than fiction and here, with both parties giving up their side of the lie, all presented here is fact.

Now, you may feel cheated that the ending that seems to be hinted at does not come to pass, but that should be all the more satisfying since it only cements the fact that you're not being lied to or being force fed a line to "entertain" you. The last 20 minutes of its 99 minute running time starts to pull the rug from under you whilst helping you to question exactly how some people can behave and be allowed to mingle with others.

A intriguing documentary that thrives in the cinema environment but one that most people would settle to watch on the usual BBC2 or Channel 4 stage, The Imposter is worthy of your time and effort, even if the people upon reflection, aren't.

UK release date: 24.08.12

Certificate: 15

THE DEVIL INSIDE

The "found footage" documentary style of film has had many low lights and some high lights since The Blair Witch Project was unleashed back in 1999. Since then, the field of horror has predominately attempted to take advantage of the "real events" myth that this genre brings to the audience, hopefully reinforcing the scares for them.

Writer/Director Brent Bell follows up his 2006 slasher Stay Alive with this demonic possession tale of a young woman - Andrade in typical plucky "talk to camera" heroine mode - who seeks the truth about her mother and the murders that she committed during an attempted exorcism performed on herself.

For once, the aspect of having a camera present throughout the whole proceedings is somewhat believable as its director/cameraman is after the money shots for his documentary. There's no real reason for you to scream at the screen to "drop the camera and run away" like Blair Witch or Cloverfield as this guy has money and success driving him on to continue filming when most sane people would have run a mile at the first sight of a contorted body spewing profanities in multiple languages.

There's really nothing new here that hasn't been explored before in the likes of the superior The Exorcism Of Emily Rose or the grandaddy of them all, The Exorcist, but that's not to say that there aren't some nice touches thrown in amongst the well-trodden path it walks down. The first meet between daughter and her mental institutionalised mother is a wonderful example of tension-building to the point that when the possibly-possessed mother beckons her daughter nearer and then drags her own chair across the floor towards her, you're whispering to yourself for her to get out of the room pronto.

Where the film lets itself down is its "twist finale" that presumably Brent Bell thought would give this film the legs that Paranormal Activity was given with its final 30 second sequence that opened up the door to it becoming a franchise. Not giving anything away, it makes a huge, hitherto undiscussed leap plot-wise, that is not explained but more shouted out in all the confusion and barely caught on camera for the audience to digest. It's not exactly rocket science or a brain teaser, but it would have been a nice touch if the characters had taken a moment to digest what was going on rather than just scream at each other and make a decision that even busty blonde's in slasher flicks would have questioned.

An idea with merit but stereo-typing and cliches drag down the benefits of the unusual Rome setting and the depiction of the Church trying to bury such things to an overall missed opportunity. And the whole ending, just like the final 30 seconds of Paranormal Activity, ruins everything that went before it, just leaving a bad taste in your mouth rather than a sequel or prequel or an explanation of some kind.

UK release date: 02.03.12

Certificate: 15

THE TROLL HUNTER

This Is Spinal Tap! The Blair Witch Project. Cloverfield. All these have taken the form of documentary and imprinted it to a level where, regardless of whether you love them or loathe them, have influenced, or will inspire countless other film makers.

Now, that rank has a new challenger with the mix of documentary and lost footage combined to reveal to the world that our ideas of fairytales are not so fantastical after all...

After so many attempts to convince audiences about "found footage" films, The Troll Hunter's beginning scrawl will most likely be met with a weary sigh from some viewers as it explains the never-be-seen- before discovery and debates regarding its authenticity that have raged since its airing. It all feels like familiar stuff until about 25 minutes into it.

Then the unmistakable non-US humour kicks in with the off-beat slant that all you can remember about trolls is actually real. You'll be surprised at how much you know about them as the amateur film makers document the various encounters before the inevitable occurs.

What helps is that the trait of annoying "camera crew" has been largely abolished by creating a great focus for the lens and sound mike - the Troll Hunter himself. His matter-of-fact attitude and weary dry sense of humour keep your mind off the sometimes whiny students. His outfit for one troll encounter looks like a cross between Monty Python And The Holy Grail and The A-Team. That, combined with using 3 billy goat gruffs tied to a bridge to lure out a nasty troll are what gives it the edge of the other fake footage finding films - laughs over scares.

That's not to say that it's without tension. The effects are remarkable and hold up well on the big screen and the "smelling of a Christian" problem does help to draw out some shredded nerves whilst caught in a cave (but then also brings out the biggest laugh regarding instead a Muslim - "Will that be a problem?" "Don't know... we'll find out.") They even manage to show regret for the creatures that are being systematically driven to extinction by the government with its fake electricity pylons doubling up as huge electric fences and a callous slaughter involving female and children trolls.

Not what you're probably expecting and delivering exactly what is says in the title, it's another rare foreign film treat that should be seen before the Hollywood remake tramples all over its Norwegian charm and loses it a flurry of big budget CGI and Yank-isms. You may not believe in them but you'll want to by the end credits roll.

UK release date: 09.09.11

Certificate: 15

PROJECT NIM

It was once said that fact is stranger than fiction. There are documentaries that, if you didn't know it was based on fact, you'd swear it was made up with the way the story roller coasters.

After the successful (and rightly so) Man On Wire, director Marsh turns his lens on the story of an experiment from 1973 - one that is as shockingly relevant now as it should have been back then.

With its timing of release seemingly tongue-in-cheek alongside The Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes, Marsh's documentary shows the true horrific scope of what it would actually mean to try and adapt man's closest living relative to a level where both could communicate with each other successfully.

Even though the experiment took place 38 years ago, you'll find yourself becoming more surprised and shocked as the story unfolds at how something could have not only begun but continued the way it did. You'll find that you will wonder whether you're watching the foolish naivety of a mankind or the idiotic arrogance of a man. The worrying thing is you find yourself leaning towards the arrogance side especially when the movement of Nim from environment to environment due to experiment instigator Herbert Terrace's unhappiness with the results.

As the chimp is moved from his "home" where he's treated as one of the children through to the empty mansion where constant learning is pushed to gather more conclusive results, you wonder where any common sense is and where any compassion is. More so at the end where Nim is left to animal experimentation. However, there is some semblance of humanity in one of the last people to interact with the chimp who becomes a champion on his behalf - Bob Ingersoll - who refuses to let Nim slip away under experimentation.

Both interesting and distressing, this is a reminder that man has great potential but can sometimes totally screw it up by concentrating on the potential rather than the consequences.

UK release date: 12.08.11

Certificate: 12A

CATFISH

The world of documentaries has become more and more of a revelation. Some try to change the world whilst others want to turn it on it's head.

Then one comes along that will resonate with alot of people... if they see it. Who hasn't had or heard of someone who's been duped by a stranger on a social network? Following the seeds of a possible romance, "Catfish" shows what happens when 2 film maker friends turn their camera's on one of their brothers who's being drawn into a family halfway across the States via Facebook and mobiles.

The 3 guys who lead the documentary start off as young and slightly childish - over questioning each other; ignoring what the other says - but by the end of their "journey" the realisation of what has happened, and more importantly why, brings with it maturity for them and respect towards them.

It's hard to explain about the film without giving away the ending but it's worth the trip. Audiences weened on Hollywood movies will no doubt expect some terrible dark secret revealed with a splash of violence and loads of drama thrown in but this isn't a blockbuster. It's a documentary. Admittedly, the 3 do set things up so as to heighten the tension - a night time visit to a property that they keep calling "creepy" - but it's a truly emotional reason that leads them to take the 370+ miles to confront their fake family.

Brave and bold, "Catfish" shines a light on how the various social networks can connect people and what some are willing to do to make that connection to help them cope with their lives. I originally dubbed this as "The Anti-Social Network" but that would be doing it a dis-service having now seen it. You should do the same.

UK release date: 17/12/10

Certificate: 15

UK DVD release date: now