Movie review: Brothers finally bond in the compelling 'Three Identical Strangers'

You think you've heard it all. You can't fathom hearing, reading or seeing something truly unbelievable anymore. Then along comes "Three Identical Strangers" to yell, "Hold my beer."

Imagine turning the corner and seeing a carbon copy of yourself. What would that feel like? That's exactly what happened to Bobby Shafran, Eddy Galland and David Kellman. A new, must-see documentary, "Three Identical Strangers" tells the story of triplets who didn't know they were triplets until a chance meeting nearly two decades after they were born.

The story of Bobby, Eddy and David was well chronicled in 1980. Everyone from Tom Brokaw to The New York Times to Phil Donahue did stories on the brothers who were separated at birth. First, Bobby met Eddy at a community college outside New York City. Papers and magazines ran stories. Then David popped up and said, "Hey, I'm these guys' brother, too."

Split up at 6 months old by the now-closed adoption agency Louise Wise Services in Manhattan, the brothers finally bonded as 19-year-olds. They smoked the same type of cigarettes. They had the same mannerisms. They even had the same taste in women.

The triplets would extend their 15 minutes of fame by staying all night at Studio 54, appearing in a movie alongside Madonna, and later opening a restaurant together called Triplets.

For most, this is where the story ends, but director Tim Wardle goes further. After the happy-go-lucky feel of fame and family encounters, Wardle follows an investigation into why the brothers were separated. The reason? They were subjects in a nature vs. nurture psychiatric experiment.

Unraveling the ramifications of such a discovery and the children's families is like flipping through a book you can't put down. The movie goes by quickly, each frame more full of whopping details. As the film moves along, your eyes will bulge more, your sighs will grow deeper. It's not quite a horror film, but what "Three Identical Strangers" suggests about broader topics like destiny and identity frightens.

And just when you think the story has run out of steam, that the story can't get any more unbelievable, there's Wardle yelling, "Hold my beer."

Three Identical Strangers

***½ (out of ****)

Starring Eddy Galland, David Kellman and Robert Shafran. Directed by Tim Wardle. Rated PG-13.