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Produced by the Liberal Party of Canada, this shoestring-budget documentary follows Justin Trudeau for ten days leading up to his biggest performance to date — his keynote address at the Liberal Party of Canada Leadership Convention.

Promising to be a genuine look at the “true underdog story” of how the privileged son of a famous Prime Minister miraculously rose through the ranks of the Liberal Party, Never Say Never quickly spirals into an orgy of hollow Canadian truisms set against a backdrop of endless B-roll of Justin interacting with crowds of screaming young fans, most of whom appear to be below the voting age.

For the most part the film’s action mirrors Justin’s political career, relying almost solely on his high cheekbones and even higher level of name recognition to carry it. Never Say Never offers very limited insight into Trudeau’s vision for Canada.

Instead, viewers are left to glean what little they can from awkwardly interspersed segments, including an uncomfortably long interview with his hairdresser and an allegedly “unplanned” scene of Justin serenading a frightened horse with an a cappella rendition of the national anthem. Much of the footage seems salvaged from the cutting-room floor of a Liberal Party advertising agency.

While this film does little to help Justin combat the image of being just another pretty face, it is nonetheless a 90-minute long testament to his effortless charm and senseless popularity — and when Canada’s House of Commons has the combined charisma of a manila envelope, that may be all that it takes.

For those who say he’ll never be Prime Minister, I say never say never.

¾ OF ONE STAR (out of four)

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