Review of The Queen of Versailles (2012) by Blake P — 12 Sep 2014

Towards the end of "The Queen of Versailles", David Siegel nervously chuckles and admits to both himself and the camera that just a few years ago, his life was a rags to riches story, but in the present, it's a riches to rags tragedy. Karma's a bitch, but she seems to have a specific bone to pick with the filthy rich Siegels.

David was a billionaire, making scads of money through the Westgate Resorts, a massive (and massively successful) resort chain whose [supposed] main goal is to give the middle-class a taste of luxury. Promising high quality vacation time with an "affordable" price at the center, both David and his company could make millions in just a day, as all of their customers would make loans the day of discovering what the Westgate Resorts were all about.

In the beginning, we feel bad, because these poor people are nearly being conned - sure, they are getting very nice suites and they are getting vacation time, but they are almost forced to make a decision on the spot, a decision that, frankly, should be taken into careful consideration. Siegel is so wealthy that we can't help but stare in wonder. How he can get away with his business actions so regularly and so successfully?

But then ... the economic collapse of 2008 forces him to lay off loads of executives, foreclose dozens of resorts, and cut back on his spending. All of this is surely normal for a CEO of a major company. Siegel, however, isn't a normal CEO. He's a man that takes pride in his money - you can even imagine him throwing it on the ground and rolling in it.

Why is the film called "The Queen of Versailles"? The Queen is Jacqueline, his trophy wife, and Versailles is the name of the mansion he decides to build. Versailles isn't an ordinary mansion, and Jacqueline isn't an ordinary housewife, either. Jackie has the biggest boobs in Florida (from my estimations), and Versailles is the largest family-home in the United States of America. It's so large that, when director Lauren Greenfield tours it with Jacqueline, she asks, when looking at a massive space: "Is this your bedroom?" Jackie laughs, like Greenfield is joking. "That's my closet.".

The film is a tragedy of massive proportions, even if those proportions are gaudy, wasteful, and sometimes shameful. What begins like another E! network reality show ends as a drama that HBO would take under its wing.

The Versailles mansion is so large that it's nearly laughable. Though Jackie claims that her current house is bursting from the seams (although, with 8 kids and a bevy of housekeepers, it's bound to), no one needs a home as big as Versailles. It's a mistake from the beginning - we're well aware of how rich the Siegels are, but it's a humungous risk to build a mansion worth nearly $100 million.

At first, everything about the Siegel's screams success, and we can understand why he believes he can afford such a venture. David appears to know business like he knows the back of his hand - he's been rich for so many years it's no wonder he decides to build Versailles "just because he can".

Jackie came from humble beginnings, going from a middle-class childhood to becoming Miss America to marrying David Siegel. She's made it, even if she isn't using many of her brain cells. The dip in the economy is just as much as a surprise to the viewer as it is to the Siegels. It's strange to think that after years of never having to worry about money they suddenly have to worry about whether or not they can pay the electricity bill. One of the saddest scenes in the documentary stems from Jackie, so used to getting top-designer items, goes to Wal-Mart and buys countless bits of merchandise she doesn't need simply to fill the void that once came from getting fancy purses.

The previously mentioned karma is such a bitch because at one point in the film, David complains that the banks "forced" him to make loans that he couldn't afford; suspiciously like the loans he forced his customers to make.

"The Queen of Versailles" is a tragedy of huge means, yes, but it also is a cautionary tale against wealth. While you may have enough money to buy an entire island, you should never ever build a $75 million mansion. Ever.