Rating:

Morgan Spurlock, affable star and director of 2004’s hit Super Size Me, returns in this meta-documentary about product placement.

Don’t let the documentary tag fool you. Spurlock isn’t interested in bombarding you with sombre interviews and scholarly facts. He’s an entertainer first and foremost, taking a number from Michael Moore in how he keeps his documentaries entertaining through novel stock footage, energetic graphics and enthusiastic narration. And luckily, unlike Moore, Spurlock leaves the proselytizing at home.

The Greatest Movie Ever Sold is and isn’t a documentary. It’s certainly not a fictional narrative, but it solely focuses on Spurlock as he tries to pay for his new film (this very film) through product placement. It’s a film about product placement completely paid for by product placement. Neat idea. The overarching question is whether Spurlock is selling out or not as he wanders around from company to company trying to convince them to sponsor the film. It’s an interesting mix of meta-narrative and a behind-the-curtains look at how product placement works in movies, but it occasionally seems a little too shameless. Spurlock seems to be as much a performance artist as a documentary filmmaker.

While The Greatest Movie Ever Sold may be slight and the information it provides obvious, Spurlock is a good enough showman to keep the film light and breezy and entertaining. And clocking in at 88 minutes, you’re certainly not wasting your time watching it. It’s pretty funny as documentaries go and Spurlock is pretty damn charming in his ginger handlebar-mustached way. I’m sure that if Spurlock became a used car salesman, he’d be able to sell a millionaire a 1980 Ford Coupe. He’s just that likeable.

POM Wonderful Presents The Greatest Movie Ever Sold is currently playing at the Roxy Theatre. You can check out the trailer below.

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image: Sony Pictures Classic