The Greatest Movie Ever Sold/POM Wonderful Presents the Greatest Movie ....

Stars: Morgan Spurlock

Director: Morgan Spurlock

Morgan Spurlock, who sold it to McDonald by stuffing himself with their burgers almost to breaking point in Supersize Me, switches emphasis with this witty and fascinating documentary which he funded entirely from deliberate product placement. It was released in the US as POM Wonderful presents the Greatest Movie Ever Sold in tribute to its major sponsor.

Spurlock is deliberately guileless as he hustles for money from product placement to fund his movie while insisting that he retains creative control for the film and its final edit.

Watching him shamelessly pitch for sponsors is both amusing and sobering since it demonstrates how movie after movie now adds to their production budgets by integrated product plugs. (Incidentally, in this respect, I gave up counting after seeing a dozen products being plugged in Real Steel, presumably at prices the advertisers considered to be a real steal). And seeing Spurlock appearing in adverts and in costume for POM on a TV chat show adds a welcome touch of cynicism. Ralph Nader, Noam Chomsky, Donald Trump, along with filmmakers Peter Berg, Brett Ratner and, smug as ever, Quentin Tarantino add their two cents worth but it is Spurlock who effortlessly holds centre screen while if not biting, at least nibbling at the hands of those companies for whom the cinema is simply another advertising medium.

Alan Frank

USA 2011. UK Distributor: The Works. Colour.
90 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 12A.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 0, Swearing 0.

Review date: 13 Oct 2011