For this week’s Movie of the Week selection I have decided to follow Josh’s lead (‘copy’ may be a better term) and go with a documentary for the second week in a row. This week’s selection, The Queen of Versailles, focuses on Jaqueline Siegal and her billionaire husband David Siegel, founder of the Westgate Resorts time-share business, as they attempt to build the largest mansion in the United States, a replica of the one in Versailles. Everything starts to go south though when the economy crashes in 2008 and Westgate runs into major financial problems. The couple now must put the construction of their house on hold. These financial woes cause for a raw look at who these people really are which makes for a film that looks directly at the impact fortune has on the human condition.
The Queen of Versailles is interesting MotW selection to me based on my preconceived notion of the of the doc. I've often seen its box art featured prominently on the Netflix Watch Instantly homepage. Every time I see it, I think to myself "Cool, when did Paris Hilton do another film?" But then I examine closer and find out that it's not another foray into film from the great Paris Hilton, but a riches to rags story culminating in the 2008 financial collapse. Honestly, I've mistaken the box art at least three times. I guess the mind see what it wants, and in my case I want a new Paris Hilton movie.
ReplyDeleteI need to get this out of the way, I hate the Siegal family and what they stand for at the top of the film. The idea of building a replica of Versailles and out fitting it with a baseball field and a stadium grade tennis court on the grounds makes me weep for humanity. A little extravagance is fine from time to time, but these people were nuts. That house would never have been a home and the family wouldn't even see each other.
Onto the actual film, I felt that the Siegal's made it difficult to sympathize for them. Jaqueline couldn't do anything in moderation and this made it hard for her to adapt to a simpler lifestyle. I would have liked to have seen her get back into Computer Engineering and actually work to help her family, not just start doing normal things like feeding the kids or cleaning the house.
How many times did it show them with McDonald's or getting ready to order some McDonald's? Even when they had money, they still got an exceptional amount McFood. Proving once again that everybody loves McDonald's.
What did you think David Siegel's poor handling of the finaces in order to keep "Westgate" on the Las Vegas tower? Did his pride lead him to acting poorly?
I think pride most definitely interfered with David's handling of the "Westgate" tower. He thought he was invincible before the he started having financial problems. He thought that he could no wrong. His dependence on money and his love for money was at the same time sicking and sad. The only other thing he loves is himself when he has money.
DeleteI think one of the filmmaker's goals was to show how destructive greed can be. The way David is depicted in the film (an accurate depiction, I like to believe)goes above and beyond in showing greed's effects. Maybe David is not a awful person but greed and his love for money has made him one of the worst people you can ever encounter.
Let's look at Jaqueline a little bit more. It is made clear that she could not adjust to the financial problems that arose and married for money but she keeps saying that she is alright with the situation that the family is in and is somewhat happy that things are this way now. How much truth is actually in this? What did you think about Jackie giving $5,000 to her friend? What doe this say about her? Is she just as greedy as David?
I really want to believe that Jackie is a truly a good person do her upbringing and some of her decision with her money. On the other hand though, It almost seems like she can't function when the family is having financial troubles. Like David, It is hard to see how that she has much love for her children. Those family paintings on the wall are also interesting.