We have all noticed a Coke can, Rolex watch or Mercedes in films.  Hollywood filmmakers have always tried to make these product placements seem very casual.  And Lord knows they do not talk about the money they get from these companies for putting them in the view of millions of fans and potential consumers.  Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me, Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?) pulls back the curtain to reveal what is behind it.

Films (makers and studios) take money to show a plethora of commercial products.  Spurlock decides to turn the whole practice on its ear by being completely transparent about it.  He has made a film about product placement that is entirely funded by product placement.

His point is that today we are continuously bombarded by commercials and that product placement in films is no different.  Whether we are watching television or a film someone or some company is trying to sell us something.  Ingeniously Morgan Spurlock is taking money in order to fund his film from the same companies he is exposing.  He is being clever and transparent at the same time.

Ban, Sheetz, Pom, Mini Cooper, Old Navy, Hyatt, and Jet Blue are just some of the companies that “sponsor” the film.  Spurlock sells parts of the film to these companies and as he does this he begins to feel that he is losing control of it.  Funny that.  So he does what anyone else would do in his situation.  Anyone else who has his high kind of profile.  Noam Chomsky and Ralph Nadar are both solicited for advice from Spurlock.  Then he talks to directors like J.J. Abrams, Brett Ratner, Peter Berg, and Quentin Tarantino about the relationship between art and commerce.  Then he visit’s the city of Sao Paulo which has become a billboard and advertising free city.  Is he selling out? Next he visits Donald Trump for advice on this.  At the end of the day he comes to the same conclusion as the companies who have given billions of dollars, marketing works.

The idea behind this film is brilliant.  He dared to do something controversial and was successful.  What he didn’t do was get to the bottom of things.  Spurlock is not a great interviewer.  I don’t know if it is because he’s seemingly too nice a guy to really get to the heart of the matter.  There’s not meat in the stew.  Lots of interesting vegetables but no stick to your ribs substance.  While I was entertained whilst watching this documentary I was not enlightened or educated.  And that is selling the subject too short, in my opinion.

Special Features:
-Previews of Salvation Boulevard, Beats, Rhymes + Life: Travels of a Tribe Called Quest, Midnight in Paris, Exporting Raymond, Life, Above All, Super Size Me