Viktor Bout, for those not aware of his titular notoriety, is a Russian biznizman who was convicted in 2011 for conspiracy to provide aid to a terrorist organisation, among other charges. His fame rests mainly on having been a highly visible international arms dealer, whose exploits inspired the rather fine black comedy Lord of War, starring Nicolas Cage. As ever, this documentary demonstrates that true-life stories are often simultaneously more quotidian and bizarre than their Hollywood versions. Seen in copious homemade videos shot by himself, friends and family, Bout comes across as a curiously jolly, almost likable chap, albeit one without a single moral scruple about who he did business with. Co-directors Tony Gerber and Maxim Pozdorovkin paint what feels like a judiciously balanced portrait, giving equal time to Bout's accusers and critics, as well as his closest associates, including his wife, Alla, one fabulously tough-looking dame with stiletto legs and a pixie haircut, who may deserve a biopic of her own. 

• This article was amended on 15 August 2015 to correct the star rating, to three stars