Impostor (2001)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Gary Fleder

Writers (WGA):

Philip K. Dick (short story "The Impostor")
Scott Rosenberg (adaptation)

Release Date:

4 January 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Thriller | Action | Drama

Tagline:

In the Future, not everyone is who they seem to be.

Plot:

An engineer creates the ultimate weapon in a battle against aliens, only to be suspected as an alien himself...

Plot Keywords:

Android | Slit Throat | Fugitive | Shot In The Chest | Interrogation

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Gary Sinise	...	Spencer Olham
Madeleine Stowe	...	Maya Olham
Vincent D'Onofrio	...	Hathaway
Tony Shalhoub	...	Nelson Gittes
Tim Guinee	...	Dr. Carone
Mekhi Phifer	...	Cale
Gary Dourdan	...	Captain Burke
Lindsay Crouse	...	Chancellor
Elizabeth Peña	...	Midwife (as Elizabeth Pena)
Jason Beck	...	Gang Boy #2
Judy Jean Berns	...	Disgruntled Woman
Veena Bidasha	...	Frowning Nurse
Ellen Bradley	...	Nursing Mother
Shane Brolly	...	Lt. Burrows
Golden Brooks	...	Cale's Sister

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for intense sci-fi violence, some sensuality and language. (rerating); Rated R for violence and some language. (director's cut)

Runtime:

95 min | USA:102 min (R-rated version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Finland:K-15 | Iceland:16 | South Korea:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Canada:AA | Netherlands:16 | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 (re-rating) (certificate #37922) | USA:R (director's cut) | USA:R (original rating 2000) | Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Ambassador Hotel - 3400 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Dimension Films

Trivia:

The adaptation of Philip K. Dick's short story "The Impostor" was originally planned to be one segment (about forty minutes) of a three-part science fiction movie. The production company liked the early "dailies" so much, that the idea was fleshed out into a feature length film.

Goofs:

Continuity: The bullet holes in Spencer's ESA jacket move around.

Quotes:

Major D.H. Hathaway: Oh, I see you've learned to patronize, as well.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Bu san (2003)

Soundtrack:

Boom Boom

Quite superb... captures PKD's visions well.

I have no idea why this movie is such underrated. Yes, Gary Fleder is no Steven Spielberg or Ridley Scott. He doesn't have the excellent imagery or visual wonders of the other directors' films. But at the same time, he has been more faithful to the original short story than Scott or Spielberg could have been. He has added only one major twist which made the film rather more interesting. And one major credit of the film is that it could capture quite obviously the feel of paranoia that's been the mainstay of Philip Dick's most stories.

Gary Sinise is always pleasure to watch on screen. And in this case his performance is flawless. D'Onofrio plays the tough security officer with enough passion. Madeline Stowe is rather frigid in her role.

In short, 'Impostor' is a gripping tale with solid plot and enough substance. A must see for every genre fan, regardless of the fact that one of the greatest sci-fi writer has penned the story.