You couldn't write a screenplay like this if you tried. Sometimes the best source of drama is reality itself, and "The Queen of Versailles" offers plenty of interesting odd situations. Some of the scenes can only be classified as absurd, as we can only sit there and witness the extravagant maneuvers made by the Siegel family.
I went in to see how anyone could come up with rather impractical idea of "replicating", in a loose way, Versailles in America. The director gives us a good introduction where we can imagine how these wealthy people can believe such plans are possible. We learn about their backgrounds, and how Mr. Siegel seems to have plenty of capital to treat himself to that real estate dream. Along comes his third Mrs., and she's a more interesting woman than I thought she could be. She appears intelligent, loving, a bit lost in her dream world as she takes cares of her personal whims and manages to at least be aware of her family. She seems to be honest about who she was, who she is, and we even believe she hasn't lost her connections to what really matters. The problem is she doesn't truly understand reality changes around her until it is a bit too late.
There are plenty of memorable scenes in the film, and it is the intimate moments inside their home that make us notice and care about what is happening to them. At first we are voyeurs because these are real people, and in an era of "reality TV", we want to see how crazy and extravagant this family is. As the film progresses, we are see that not everyone here is as disconnected as the Mrs. We get testimony from the nannies who can see this is not a happy household. There is an army of employees and nannies, so we know communication is broken. We hear about a child who prefers to sleep with a person who gives him the attention his parents are not providing. We know that when these servants disappear, there will be some critical exchanges between a few of the members of the family.
It is after the financial crisis begins and deepens that we start being enveloped by the darkness that closes in around the household. We see how their resources become limited and disappear, and some of the scenes are hilarious. You can't help but chuckle as the inquires about the drivers at the car rental place, and the discovery of the unattended pets is horrible but still manages to elicit a laugh because it is so unbelievable.
The film offers some hard truths many won't like to hear, and it might be more than a journey through the lives of a wealthy family that has its rude awakening. The documentary crew shows us the connection of these people to mere mortals like us, and it is there when it becomes chilling because if it happens to them, it might also happen to anyone.
"Versailles" deserves a viewing since it is a reflection of the times, and truth might not always be pretty.
I went in to see how anyone could come up with rather impractical idea of "replicating", in a loose way, Versailles in America. The director gives us a good introduction where we can imagine how these wealthy people can believe such plans are possible. We learn about their backgrounds, and how Mr. Siegel seems to have plenty of capital to treat himself to that real estate dream. Along comes his third Mrs., and she's a more interesting woman than I thought she could be. She appears intelligent, loving, a bit lost in her dream world as she takes cares of her personal whims and manages to at least be aware of her family. She seems to be honest about who she was, who she is, and we even believe she hasn't lost her connections to what really matters. The problem is she doesn't truly understand reality changes around her until it is a bit too late.
There are plenty of memorable scenes in the film, and it is the intimate moments inside their home that make us notice and care about what is happening to them. At first we are voyeurs because these are real people, and in an era of "reality TV", we want to see how crazy and extravagant this family is. As the film progresses, we are see that not everyone here is as disconnected as the Mrs. We get testimony from the nannies who can see this is not a happy household. There is an army of employees and nannies, so we know communication is broken. We hear about a child who prefers to sleep with a person who gives him the attention his parents are not providing. We know that when these servants disappear, there will be some critical exchanges between a few of the members of the family.
It is after the financial crisis begins and deepens that we start being enveloped by the darkness that closes in around the household. We see how their resources become limited and disappear, and some of the scenes are hilarious. You can't help but chuckle as the inquires about the drivers at the car rental place, and the discovery of the unattended pets is horrible but still manages to elicit a laugh because it is so unbelievable.
The film offers some hard truths many won't like to hear, and it might be more than a journey through the lives of a wealthy family that has its rude awakening. The documentary crew shows us the connection of these people to mere mortals like us, and it is there when it becomes chilling because if it happens to them, it might also happen to anyone.
"Versailles" deserves a viewing since it is a reflection of the times, and truth might not always be pretty.