POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold
If screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (“Adaptation,” “Being John Malkovich”) ever focused his warped vision on the documentary format, the end product would probably be a kin to Morgan Spurlock’s new creation befittingly entitled “POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold”. The movie is a meta-infused treatment of reality that brings to light Corporate America’s incessant need to sell, sell, sell.
The concept is simple: Spurlock has made a movie exposing the truth about corporate sponsors and product placement in the motion picture industry entirely funded by corporate sponsorship and product placement. If that sentence lost you, trying reading it out loud in front of a mirror. It’s an entertaining and self-referencing idea that even seems to have Spurlock confused in the early stages of the film. He doesn’t seem to know what is happening, only that it is happening right now.
Much of the film involves Spurlock in conference rooms pitching away to perspective sponsors. If they choose to get on board with the project, Spurlock will present their company’s wares as the greatest. The Mini Cooper is the best vehicle in the world because the company gives him seven of the micro machines. Jet Blue provides free airfare, making Jet Blue the No. 1 airline ever in the history of commercial flight. The people over at POM Wonderful pay a pretty penny (say “one million dollars!” like Doctor Evil) to “present” the entire thing and therefore no other beverage contains the antioxidants levels that the fantastic, 100% pure pomegranate juice offers.
Considering this is the guy that took fast food giant McDonalds down a few pegs with his hugely popular “Super Size Me,” most of the suits he meets are not interested. This is because Spurlock presents the function of placement advertising as a deceitful and shady business that has become a necessary evil. By exposing the truth and fully investing in the very thing he’s denouncing, Spurlock sells out as well and joins the enemy. He becomes a contradiction, shilling with a smirk and never buying what he’s selling. Except his Merrell brand shoes. He really seems to like the shoes.
Like Michael Moore, Spurlock is the star of his own documentaries and he is a capable host that doesn’t share much of Moore’s heavy-handed preachiness. He knows how to entertain as he presents his case and this movie has plenty of humor in it. But there is some educating going on as well. New vocabulary words such as “brand integration,” “faction” and “brand collateral” are all explained. Considering that we (the ever faithful audience) are the consistent recipients of these tactics, it is important to brush up on some of the key terms.
“The Greatest Movie Ever Sold” isn’t earth shattering in its implications or exposures. Most people are aware that they are being bombarded and except it. What the movie does is open the eyes a little wider. While it is apparent what is happening when the television show fades and some smiling salesman throws some product down your throat, it is less obvious when the smiling salesman is Iron Man and all you want to do is see how the movie ends. It’s a form of trickery that isn’t appreciated and Spurlock is merely pointing it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9vu3dUMQ1s