Directed by: Morgan Spurlock
Rating: PG-13

Morgan Spurlock directs the documentary film The Greatest Movie Ever Sold.

Maybe it's because Morgan Spurlock set the bar pretty high for himself by making Super Size Me back in 2004, or maybe it's because his new documentary isn't necessarily aiming to be an exposé, or maybe it's a combination of the two, but for whatever reason, The Greatest Movie Ever Sold lacks some of the zing that made Spurlock so popular seven years ago. Whatever his newest film lacks in revelatory power, though, it makes up for in humor, cleverness, and reliability.

The Greatest Movie Ever Sold follows Spurlock around as he tries to get funding to make the movie itself. His quest is to find funding solely from sponsors and product placement. In order to do that, he has to find out what sorts of brands are compatible with the Morgan Spurlock brand. Then, he has to do the unthinkable: ask these people for money.

At first, the task is challenging; some agents say they'd be willing to help, but then backtrack in off-the-record conversations. Most of the potential clients say they're just concerned about what Morgan Spurlock will do to their image, considering what he did to the McDonald's brand in Super Size Me. But he assures them he will discuss those brands that sponsor the movie in a positive light. In fact, he'll go a step further and call any brand that supports him "The Greatest in the World." So, POM Wonderful Pomegranate Juice becomes the Greatest Drink in the World (and pays the $1 million to have its name above the movie's title); Ban becomes the Greatest Deodorant in the World; Hyatt becomes the Greatest Hotel in the World, and so on. And all other brands are inferior, too.

In between asking companies to sponsor the movie, Spurlock also interviews moviemakers, politicians, advertisers, and regular people from New York to Florida to Brazil about the world of product placement. For some, it's an in-your-face barrage of sounds and flashing colors; for others, it's just how money gets made and business keeps going. Everyone agrees, though—ads are everywhere. How are we supposed to be able to discern truth in advertising from unsubstantiated claims? How are we supposed to know if something is actually the Greatest in the World?

As in Super Size Me, Spurlock stays surprisingly neutral on the matter, letting others talk about the issue of product placement and letting himself literally be a walking exhibit of it. He doesn't take sides, or even anticipate taking sides. He's aiming for complete transparency. Sure, we all know that product placement exists, Spurlock tells us, but how does it come about? This movie gives us as good an inside look at the process as we could hope for.

Being the lighthearted (or "playful," as his brand consultants suggest) person Spurlock is, he can't help but turn situations into comic spectacles when the opportunity arises. So he gets Mane 'n' Tail to be the Official Shampoo of The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (it works on humans and horses!); he sets a stick of Ban deodorant in front of Quentin Tarantino during their interview; he interrupts a conversation with Ralph Nader on the pervasiveness of product placement to offer the four-time presidential candidate a fabulous, durable pair of Merrill sneakers.

But wait, there's more! Spurlock also includes three full-length advertisements within the movie (yes, ads in a movie)—one for POM Wonderful, one for JetBlue, and one particularly humorous one for Hyatt. Also, people who come to see The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (at least, at the theater where I saw it) receive free sample-size bottles of Mane 'n' Tail!

The Greatest Movie Ever Sold is well worth seeing, even if not for the reason you might think. It isn't a condemnation of big brand names or a denouncement of marketing practices. Rather, it's an attempt to make the advertising industry less of a mysterious behemoth to everyday people. It's an attempt to be honest with the audience and maybe to pressure other companies to have a little more transparency. And even if you don't care about advertising, the movie is intriguingly self-referencing and funny enough to keep the audience engaged. Morgan Spurlock reminds us why he's one of the best documentarians around, and I for one would like to know where he's going next. Wherever it is, I imagine he'll be sure to wear his Merrills.

Danny Eisenberg is a 2010 graduate of the Bromfield School and is currently a student at the University of Pennsylvania.