The Lauren
Greenfield-directed documentary tells the story of top 1-percent-ers David and
Jackie Siegel, who began building the largest home in America (the 90,000
square foot Orlando mansion modeled after Versailles) before the housing crash
put their fortune in jeopardy. Greenfield spent three years with the unfiltered
couple and their family. And a lot happened in that short span.
The film offers not
only a peek at the time-share industry mogul and his company, but also a rare
look at fragile moments of the extremely wealthy. Most of the film is played
for laughs, but it’s the heartfelt moments from the extended family that take
this documentary beyond the likes of television reality shows about the rich
and distracted.
This is a
larger-than-life family in monstrous denial so their unique brand of humility
won’t leave you sympathetic, but you’ll be surprised how much you care about
the outcome of their situation. Which leads to my only complaint; finished in
2011, this film seems like it’s missing a final act.
Simply
put: Expertly plays
more like a fascinating character study film and unscripted comedy than a
reality show.
Award potential: As a
comedy it’s too slight to get a nod for Oscar Best Documentary. Greenfield took
best documentary director at the Sundance Film Festival in 2012 for this film.
The ten
buck review: Worth ten bucks. Probably worth your hard-earned ten bucks
just to hear what the Hertz rental car salesman has to say to Jackie.
No comments:
Post a Comment