The Queen of Versailles Movie Review

The Queen of Versailles Movie Still

Cast & Crew

Director : Lauren Greenfield

Producer : Lauren Greenfield, Mette Heide,

Screenwriter : n/a

Starring : Jackie Siegel, David Siegel, Richard Siegel, Marisa Gaspay, Virginia Nebab, Wendy Ponce, Cliff Wright, Oscar Goodman,

Documentaries are rarely as hilarious as this one. Well, the first half of it at least, as filmmaker Greenfield proves to have a wonderful eye for absurdity as she explores the life of the ludicrously wealthy Siegel family. But as the cameras roll, things begin to shift into something much darker. The absurdity is still there, but now it is tinged with bitter irony as harsh economic reality comes crashing down around them.

The queen of the title is Jackie Siegel, third wife of time-share mogul David, and her Versailles is under construction in Orlando, designed to be the largest family home in America. These people are so rich that their current 30-bedroom mansion feels cramped. Well, Jackie has given birth to seven of David's children! And she runs the household with a mixture of lively intelligence (she has a computer engineering degree), surgically altered physicality (she's a former Miss America) and of course a large staff. Their new house will have 90 rooms, including 10 kitchens and 30 bathrooms, and everything is on track until the 2008 financial crisis hits David's business.

Suddenly Jackie's lavish spending feels even more obscene, as she struggles not to buy far too many Christmas gifts, for example, and has to let the staff go.

She recognises the pain inflicted on the families of employees David has had to make redundant, so she opens a charity shop for them. But her spoiled children have no idea about the real world, and certainly don't understand why their dad has lapsed into such a dark depression.

The filmmakers watch all of this with observant, unobtrusive cameras, catching a series of telling moments that make us laugh and/or cringe. This is a thoroughly entertaining film that encourages us to react to the excess of the Siegels' lifestyle while also provoking our more universal reactions to the recession. The sudden downturn in this family's fortune feels strangely sobering after the film's more comical opening section, but it also shifts this from a mindless laugh-riot into something much more important.

Rich Cline

More From Contactmusic.com

More From The Web

Write for us

Comments

The Queen of Versailles Rating

" Excellent "

Rating: PG, 2012

Editors Recommendations

Brad Pitt Takes Center-Stage As World War Z Premiere In New York [Pictures]

World War Z premiered in New York last night (the London premiere took place on 3rd June)...

Brad Pitt Takes Center-Stage As World War Z Premiere In New York [Pictures]

Steve Carell On Gru's Reform, The Minions And His Co-Star In 'Despicable Me 2' Interview

Steve Carell, who plays the lead character Gru in 'Despicable Me 2', talks about the movie in an interview...

Video - Steve Carell On Gru's Reform, The Minions And His Co-Star In 'Despicable Me 2' Interview

'Despicable Me 2' Star Kristen Wiig Takes Part In A Promotional Interview That Reveals A Little Too Much (Spoiler Alert!)

Kristen Wiig plays Agent Lucy Wilde, Gru's partner in crime and love interest, in animated comedy 'Despicable Me 2'...

Video - 'Despicable Me 2' Star Kristen Wiig Takes Part In A Promotional Interview That Reveals A Little Too Much (Spoiler Alert!)

John Mayer - Paper Doll Video

Take a lesson in romancercise with Joanna Rohrback from Prancercise LLC on the lyric video for John Mayer's...

John Mayer - Paper Doll Video

Nick Offerman Talks Running Away, His Teenage Co-Stars And Comic Scenes In 'The Kings Of Summer' Interview

'Parks And Recreation' star Nick Offerman discusses his new movie 'The Kings Of Summer' in an interview...

Video - Nick Offerman Talks Running Away, His Teenage Co-Stars And Comic Scenes In 'The Kings Of Summer' Interview

Daft Punk are too star-struck to speak to their ultimate collaborator Brian Wilson

The French dance duo would love to work with the legendary Beach Boys singer and songwriter, but...

Brian Wilson - Daft Punk are too star-struck to speak to their ultimate collaborator Brian Wilson

The Lonely Island Comedy Band Talk Friendships And Collaborations In An Interview On New Album 'The Wack Album' [Video]

Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone and Andy Samberg of comedy band The Lonely Island discuss their new album...

Video - The Lonely Island Comedy Band Talk Friendships And Collaborations In An Interview On New Album 'The Wack Album'

Kim Kardashian Pictures: How Much Will Baby Photos Sell For?

We don't even know the baby's name yet, but Kim Kardashian's pictures of her little daughter are...

Kim Kardashian Pictures: How Much Will Baby Photos Sell For?

Daytime Emmy Awards: Isn't It Great When A Presenter Gets The Wrong Envelope? [Video]

Let's face it, awards ceremonies are largely dull affairs with predictable winners, glitzy dresses and...

Daytime Emmy Awards: Isn't It Great When A Presenter Gets The Wrong Envelope? [Video]


More recommendations

Newsletter

Subscribe to this news alert service to receive news and reviews on

Unsubscribe | Unsubscribe All

Films by Artist: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ