IMPOSTOR

US, 2001, 96 minutes, Colour.

Gary Sinise, Madaleine Stowe, Vincent D'Onofrio, Tony Shalhoub, Tim Guinee, Mekhi Phifer, Lindsay Crouse, Elizabeth Peña, Shane Brolley.

Directed by Gary Fleder.

Impostor was originally intended to be one-third of an anthology film, The Light Years Trilogy.  When the project was abandoned, this film was expanded to a longer running-time and released as a feature film.

Gary Fleder, the director of such thrillers as Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead and Don't Say a Word, creates the atmosphere of Earth at the end of the 21st century.  There is  unrest in the galaxies.  There are weapons experts and security agent.  However,  the issue of identity is to the fore in this film (and the title).  The issues are the same as in Philip K. Dick's other story, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, which was the basis for Blade Runner.  The characters do not know whether they are fully human or whether they are replicants. 

Gary Sinise is the central character, unsure of his identity, having difficulty in relating to his wife played by Madeleine Stowe, and his superior played by Vincent D'Onofrio.   The plot is quite complex as theories are given and visuals are produced to show how replicants can take over human beings, with the result that the hero does not know really who he is.  A similar use was made of replicants and clones in the Arnold Schwarzenegger thriller, The Sixth Day.

Critics were very harsh on Impostor, criticising it for not having the status of Blade Runner and Minority Report which was released at the same time.  However,  devotees of Philip Dick's science fiction praised the film and considered its modesty as a virtue and suggested that it remained close to the literary style, characters, themes and issues of Dick's literature. 

1. Science fiction from the early 21^st century? The setting Is Later in the 21^st-century? Alien invaders, the taking over of Earth, the creation of replicants, the infiltration by replicants, the bombs?
2. The visuals of Earth at this period, familiar sequences, forests, homes? The contrast with government, police, military, laboratories? The musical score?
3. Audiences interested in the stories by Philip K. Dick? The various film versions, comparisons? Similar themes, identity, replicants?
4. The political situation, Earth, protection from aliens, buildings, covers? The government, the Chancellor, totalitarian rule? The military? The Chancellor as target?
5. Audience introduction to Otham, to Meyer, their life together, his work as a scientist, replicants, bombs instead of hearts, their programming?
6. Maj Hathaway, attitude towards Otham, interrogation, to check whether he was a replicant, his escape, being helped by Cale, stalker, going to the hospital, Maher and her work there? The attempt to test his heart?
7. Into the woods, Hathaway and his pursuit, the memories of the happy time in the woods, the discovery of the actual body of Maher, the realisation that they were replicants, of them and is realisation, triggering the bomb, destruction?
8. News bulletin, the Hathaway and the of them is were killed? The government cover-up? Cale and his reflection about the reality of the people he knew?
9. A variation on the artificial intelligence theme, and alien invasions?