> REVIEW
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The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (2011)
POM Wonderful presents…
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By Cliff Homewood | October 2011
DIRECTOR: Morgan Spurlock
From feasting on fast food for an entire month to touring the Middle East to discuss the war on terror with the Arabic people , it’s fair to say Morgan Spurlock’s documentaries excel in the high concept. With The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, he turns his attention toward the advertising industry and its place in the movie business.
The charismatic Spurlock leads us with the question of, how much integrity does a film lose when it inserts brands into its narrative? The Greatest Move Ever Sold unearths some fascinating facts about how product placement operates in film and Spurlock deploys some snazzy visuals to explore his concept. Here we get to see Department Heads being exposed as clueless as the rest of us when having interview-style questions levelled at them, leaving one to wonder if they really are just making it up as they go along?
With a devilish charm Spurlock shamelessly hawks products to fund his movie, and his believability is of such quality you’re not sure whether it’s a Mike Myers-esque ruse or genuine sincerity. It’s this deliciousness that gives the film its edge. What other films do you see seamlessly merge into adverts for products that are part of the narrative of the film itself? That’s the conundrum The Greatest Movie Ever Sold riffs on so well; after all an artist has to advertise to sell. The trick it seems is to be artistic in your advertising.
From early on, Spurlock promises to treat the products with respect. Without that assurance, from the man who seriously dented McDonalds reputation with Supersize Me (2004), the film never would have made it in front of the cameras. It’s this combination of intelligence, integrity and sheer sense of fun that makes the documentary such a joy to watch. Spurlock feels like a brother in arms. He represents us. He’s cheeky and confident, like when he interviews an anti-advertising campaigner wearing designer goods.
The film does gravitate away from its original thesis. But it remains such an interesting analysis on the advertising industry and its effect on the modern world that you happily accept the detour.
The tagline, “He’s not selling out, he’s buying in” is an excuse, but the wit of this movie is a joy to behold.
Subject……………………………………………………………………………..……………..
A worthwhile subject, although its ramifications are not fully explored, it at
least highlights the process movies have to go through to enable advertising. 3
Direction………………………………………………………………………………..…………
There’s plenty of creativity on display and Spurlock retains artistic integrity by keeping final cut. 3
Verdict………………………………………………………………………………………………
If only the news could be this fun. 3
