American Shopper

In this hybrid documentary of fiction and reality, actor Jonathan Gotsick portrays the inventor of “aisling”—the fake sport of shopping with self-expression and creativity. Aislers participate in the 1st National Aisling Championship, held in Columbia, Mo., decorating their shopping carts and wearing self-made costumes. At first, the characters, real people who know they are participating in a fake sport, are entertaining to watch, but the novelty of this quirky version of Supermarket Sweep quickly wears thin.

Shelf Talk: American Shopper had some exposure at a handful of film festivals, but other than that, this indie unknown will be a tough sell. Those who enjoyed such documentaries as Wordplay and pseudo-documentaries including Best in Show will likely gravitate toward this one. It also will fit nicely at supermarkets and other non-traditional retailers.