Morgan Spurlock sent shivers of envy into millions of people--and shivers of disgust into millions more--when he spent a month eating only McDonald's fare for "Super Size Me." Now, in "The Greatest Movie Ever Sold," he proves himself absolutely shameless, but quite funny and imaginative as he tries to finance a 90-minute commercial for a variety of products.
He got a million bucks, and probably all the pomegranate juice he could drink, in a deal with Pom Wonderful. They drink's name is above the title; even the New York Times lists Spurlock's triumph as "Pom Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold." Since he said he needed $1.5 million to make the film, Pom's efforts made it possible.
If you don't like the movie, however, you can find another pomegranate juice.
The film is clever, rather funny and definitely a one-trick pony. Spurlock, as the saying used to go, could sell refrigerators to Eskimos, and watching his sales pitches to a variety of manufacturers, including Mane 'n Tail, a shampoo created for both horse and rider, is creative, outrageous and highly enjoyable. The movie's high spot has Spurlock and a pony sharing a tub.
But when he goes into Florida and tries to sell advertising on school buses and in schools, the charm is over and the idea of trying to make a joke out of the disaster area that is the nation's public schools becomes rather repulsive.
The Greatest Movie Ever Sold opens today.
--Joe
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