Jimmy Carter's ex-presidential life is visited intimately in "Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains." (Photo provided by Sony Pictures Classics)

Sure, the exceedingly respectful "Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains" does play like an infomercial, with director Jonathan Demme following the former president around as he promotes his latest book.

That the book -- "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid" -- generated some controversy when it came out last year in no way means that the documentary itself will ever become controversial.

Demme asked for and got constant, intimate access to the 39th U.S. president and ensured his subject that he intended to make a "warts-and-all" film about him. Turns out, Carter is a thoughtful, decent man who's kind, warm and engaging with everyone he meets, whether he's at a book signing, church barbecue or lunch with the honchos from Simon & Schuster.

In one instance, Carter grows vaguely testy during a phone interview when it becomes clear that the person questioning him on the other end of the line hasn't read his book. Then he seems slightly sheepish about having grown testy.

He sweetly details how he and his wife of 60 years, Rosalynn, still read aloud to each other from the Bible every night before bed, even if they're in different cities and have to do it over the phone. But then he also has a little harmless fun flirting with the makeup artist for Tavis Smiley's show, a woman who calls him "honey" and "sweetheart" and gives him a farewell kiss on the cheek.

But they do keep him safely on the periphery of the furor that surrounded him for the views he expressed in his book. A group of rabbis staged a protest outside a Phoenix bookstore where Carter was doing a signing one night; he zoomed away from it in his motorcade, but Demme and cinematographer Declan Quinn zeroed in on the outrage from both Jews and Palestinians.

Similar to the approach he took with his concert documentaries, "Stop Making Sense" and "Neil Young: Heart of Gold" (both excellent), Demme makes us feel as if we are a fly on the wall. He doesn't insert himself, there's no structured interview format, we never see him or even hear his voice.

-- By Christy Lemire Associated Press