Last November, in a gesture that the actor himself described as “a symbolic, silly thing,” Sean Penn gifted one of his two Academy Awards to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to …
, to mark his emotional investment in the country as they continue to fight Russia’s invasion — attracting widespread mockery from social media and the entertainment press in the process. That this moment is not included in Penn and co-director Aaron Kaufman’s “,” a disordered, distinctly Penn-centric account of recent Ukrainian history, counts as one of the film’s few moments of self-awareness.
Whether that demographic is significant enough to secure major exposure for the VICE-produced “Superpower” following its Berlinale gala premiere is somewhat doubtful. The film’s most notable asset is a clutch of exclusive interviews with the unfailingly charismatic Zelenskyy, whose telegenic gifts as an erstwhile performer are a particular point of fascination for his fellow thespian here, but even those haven’t exactly been thin on the ground of late.
Still, even if the film had been able to stick with its original agenda, it’s hard to imagine Penn not being an equally intrusive presence on its portraiture. Too often, the film’s well-meaning reportage is muddled with needless vanity sequences of the actor-director as an on-the-ground trailblazer, as the film fashions the impression that Penn himself — as much as any news agency — is a vital courier of the horrific events around him to Western audiences.
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