Bulletproof Salesman

With the U.S. military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan continuing to drag on, Michael Tucker and Petra Epperlein's Bulletproof Salesman arrives to offer a darkly entertaining portrait of Fidelis Cloer, who unapologetically defines himself as a war profiteer. Cloer's bounty derives from his sale of handcrafted armored vehicles designed to withstand attacks from bombs and bullets. With a career spanning two decades and a client base covering all continents and political agendas (Yasser Arafat and Nelson Mandela supposedly did business with him), Cloer has become the go-to man for highly specialized armored vehicles. Yet the proliferation of armor-shredding improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and easy Internet access to bomb-assembly instructions have created a significant challenge to both Cloer's products and reputation. Bulletproof Salesman illustrates how Cloer needs to work overtime to assure new clients of his vehicles' security, particularly in an Iraq where the newly wealthy in a slowly recovering economy still fear for their lives on the street. Shot over a five-year period, Bulletproof Salesman often feels like a demented and extended auto dealership commercial, and Cloer clearly enjoys being on camera (although he can be touchy, such as when he defensively notes that no one criticizes Coca-Cola or Burger King for doing business in U.S.-occupied Iraq). An offbeat documentary, Bulletproof Salesman may even inspire business school students with its intimate portrait of a single-minded fringe character who has successfully filled an unusual (albeit unfortunate) niche. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)