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Visits to the cinema invariably feature the glorious Deluxe Combi™ of a large Coke, matching popcorn and an accompanying bag of Pick’n’Mix sweets, almost distinguishing them as a 3-course meal. Had I watched Morgan Spurlock’s Super Size Me at the cinema, a rebuttal towards the fast-food monarch McDonald’s, undoubtedly the moral of the tale would have resonated a little deeper than when sat at home.
We are repeatedly bombarded with images that suggest that the end of the world is nigh, and if we are intending to have kids then good luck, as the world is changing potentially irretrievably. And you know what? Morgan Spurlock is thinking just the same goddamn thing. Cue opening credits.
Welcome to the world of Osama Bin Laden through the eyes of Morgan Spurlock, where you are just as likely to see a computer-animated Eminem pastiche as a seemingly mesmeric Muslim leader. The film Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? is a documentary, motivated by Spurlock’s need to make the world a little bit safer in time for birth of his first child. He traverses politically unstable hotspots in search of the World’s Most Wanted man, seeking to unveil not just the hiding place of Bin Laden, but whether in fact his whereabouts are relevant.
As a prelude we are treated to Spurlock’s training regime, which involves an overwhelming amount of stairclimbing, bomb dodging, fake blood and his newly acquired beard. Although a little irrelevant, these episodes expose Spurlock as the pub-style raconteur at which he excels.
With a fellow compatriot, Spurlock travels from Afghanistan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Morroco and Egypt interviewing potential leads, locals, carpet-dealers and children. Most insightful are the interviews with the children and particularly the nomadic settlers. So it’s no surprise that a perennial feature of this film is the role of children, their education and by consequence their views. The film is edited to expose polarities in opinion, from staunch defenders of terrorist activities to educated pacifists disillusioned with the threatening climate: Spurlock looks for the quick fix.
As the director himself has said, he looks to engage a ‘general audience’ in a dialogue they have been extracted from.
By setting up this film as a computer game last found on a Sega Megadrive, he already adds a comic element whilst approaching his target audience. Rather favorably Morgan Spurlock manages to entertain whilst discussing foreign policy and the opposing attitudes of a country’s inhabitants. As a director his fecundity and passion is right up there, but unfortunately this need to educate does not unearth any new ideas.
The real trooper however is Alexandra Jamieson, Morgan Spurlock’s wife. Whilst her husband shoots a bazooka in the Middle East cheering "That was awesome!" an act that rather conversely recalled George W. Bush’s war comments whilst playing golf, his pregnant wife sits at home. Although her wait isn’t in vain, the film is pretty US-centric, with all conclusions relating back to whether the people he meets actually like Americans, or if Bush and his actions blight their views. From an entertainment perspective it does change the film’s overall view, but the sentiment (within reason) transcends nationality. Spurlock himself said: “If you can make someone laugh, you can make someone listen,” this is a start.
Credits
Director: Morgan Spurlock
Writers: Morgan Spurlock and Jeremy Chilnick
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