The humanitarian efforts of actor Sean Penn are placed in the spotlight in Citizen Penn, a documentary that delves into the Oscar winner’s charity work in Haiti, yet could have used more of a critical eye in Penn’s bullish brand of activism.

There will always be controversy when it comes to celebrity activism, and actor Sean Penn sure knows how to inspire a reaction. Whether helping victims of Hurricane Katrina (good Penn) or chumming up with Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez (bad Penn), Penn is a man you do not have to like, but you can admire for his strong convictions and passion for action over talk. His response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake, in which a 7.0 quake devastated the small Caribbean nation, will perhaps be his biggest win in his mixed-record activist legacy.

Citizen Penn, a new documentary by filmmaker Don Hardy (Pick of the Litter), delves into Penn’s time in Haiti and the citizen activism he hopes to encourage through his non-government organisation CORE (Community Organised Relief Effort). Revolving around a candid interview with Penn, the film features on the ground coverage of Penn and his volunteers as they tackle the pressing issues in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, namely medical supplies and shelter.

The footage can often be confrontational, as Hardy captures the devastation of an earthquake that flattened an already impoverished part of the world into a near wasteland of rubble. One sequence in which Penn and his team rush a young boy to hospital who is in need of dire medical attention, almost plays out like a Hollywood chase scene, as Hardy captures the weaving through congested streets via his POV lens.

Just as engrossing are the scene of Penn urging his fellow celebrities to cough up the big bucks at his annual Haiti fundraiser. Penn can be many things, but charming is not one of them. This is especially witnessed when Penn berates a room full of millionaires for not giving to their full potential.

In many ways Penn’s passionate zeal and audible disgust is justified, however it also speaks to the actors’ biggest flaw: his tendency for emotion to overcome reason. While this approach may work on a film set, in a scenario where lives are at stake, some tact is needed, even from the grumpiest man in Hollywood.