Review of The Queen of Versailles (2012) by Walter M — 20 Dec 2013

"The Queen of Versailles" is a documentary wherein time share mogul David Siegel attempts to build the largest single family house in the United States. In the process, he proves that just because something can be done, does not automatically mean that it should. That is moral #1.

His trophy wife and mother of their eight children, Jackie, sees the parallels between their new home and the palace at Versailles, forgetting how badly that ended, even though she graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

This modern day version does not end the same way, of course, but it does not look like it will end happily, either. That starts when the banking crisis of 2008 brings David's business to an abrupt halt which is ironic considering his support of George W. Bush who favored less regulation for the banking industry in the 2000 election. Thus leaving the new house only half complete.

Moral #2 is put rather well by one of the children when she observes that being rich does not solve any problems, since there will always be more.(Remember this the next time you are on line to buy a lottery ticket.) But that's pretty much it for any kind of meaningful insights here, as "The Queen of Versailles" otherwise resembles reality television in the cringe inducing way it invites the viewer to sit in judgment of its subjects, particularly on the subjects of the tackiness of the nouveau riche and birth control for both men and women.