Men of War

Directed by Jen Gatien and Billy Corben, Men of War documents the exploits of Jordan Goudreau and his bungled efforts at executing a coup in Venezuela. Filmmakers Gatien and Corben deliver a blisteringly-paced true-life tale that admittedly does get off to a compelling start, as the almost inherently intriguing bent of the story, coupled with a charismatic subject in Goudreau, ensures that one can’t help but initially get sucked into the outlandish events. It’s clear, however, that Men of War segues into a padded-out and hopelessly repetitive midsection that delves into the nitty-gritty to an often interminable extent, and there’s little doubt, as such, that the viewer’s interest and enthusiasm is slowly-but-surely drained long before the improved final stretch rolls around. (The portion of the proceedings detailing the consequences of Goudreau’s failed efforts is admittedly quite compelling, although Gatien and Corben cancel out its effectiveness by unreasonably delaying the conclusion.) The end result is a documentary that does, for the most part, feel like it could and should have topped out at a half hour, which is a shame, ultimately, given the potential afforded by that outlandish scenario.

** out of ****