Sell Me Something Good
felix
In Lord of War, Nicholas Cage plays Yuri Orlov, an Ukrainian immigrant who becomes a millionaire by dealing in arms during the various world conflicts throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Cage is a charismatic and unpredictable performer, even if the film itself is uneven, he’s always interesting to watch.
Petra Epperlain and Michael Tucker’s Bulletproof Salesman, on the other hand, features a real-life Orlov in the persona of Fidelis Cloer. The latter, however, is German and sells armored cars at the sites of current U.S. turmoil, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Cloer is a fascinating character. The documentary consists of Cloer expounding on his theory of what makes a good salesman, arguing that the only detail that differentiates him from other master sellers is his product. This amoral approach leads him to equate the proffering of armored vehicles to foreign diplomats stationed in Iraq to marketing and selling of band-aids in a country ravaged by war.
Epperlain and Tucker’s signature deadpan dark humor, as witnessed in their Gunner Palace, is again showcased here. At times, I felt like I was watching an episode of The Office. Is Cloer for real? Is he really that removed from his own ethics? Visually, there are too many scenes inside moving cars and oddly-framed interviews with Cloer. The footage of test cars blown up is interesting at first as a novelty, but soon becomes tedious.
Still, is the devil really in the details? Decide for yourself—the documentary is now available on DVD.
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| Posted on April 6, 2010
Comments
What a post? Very well written. Thanks.
Posted on 2010 04 28 by minervainfotech2