The Queen of Versailles Blu-ray delivers great video and audio in this excellent Blu-ray release
A documentary that follows a billionaire couple as they begin construction on a mansion inspired by Versailles. During the next two years, their empire, fueled by the real estate bubble and cheap money, falters due to the economic crisis.
David Siegel took the real estate world by storm when he founded Westgate Resorts, a timeshare company based out of Orlando, Florida that quickly grew in stature and profit with its slick sales techniques and luxurious accommodations. Soon spawning multiple properties around America, Westgate blossomed into a billion-dollar business, peaking five years ago when the average vacationer could easily borrow money to purchase their dream getaway. The corporation permitted David a lavish lifestyle, a trophy wife in Jackie, and a family of eight children. The man could buy anything his heart desired, and he did, culminating in the construction of Versailles, a 90,000-square-foot home in Orlando inspired by a vacation to France. In 2007, this cavernous dwelling sounded like a great idea. In 2010, the unfinished domicile came to represent everything that soured in David's life after the financial collapse of 2008.
What's immediately striking about the documentary "The Queen of Versailles" is the access director Lauren Greenfield acquired to interview David, Jackie, and their friends and family, who all gladly sit down with the filmmaker to explore the monetary flight of the Westgate Resorts, the construction of Versailles, and the fallout from the infamous Wall Street plunge. Commencing her investigation when the days were sweet for David (who's initially interviewed while sitting on a golden throne) and Jackie, the movie carefully erects an arc of experience for the family, beginning at the height of their influence (David furtively suggests he helped George W. Bush steal the 2000 Presidential election), when Westgate Resorts landed in Las Vegas, prepared to take over the strip with a beautiful blue building, shoveling money into the corporation's coffers peeled from tourists swayed into extended timeshare deals they couldn't afford. Loaded with cash, David had enormous plans for his empire, shared with son Richard and thousands of employees, with Versailles imagined as a towering monument to his wealth, with tennis courts, pools, 30 bathrooms, a baseball field, and endless decorations put on display as a show of power, rationalized by the couple as the realization of the American Dream.
The fantasy life couldn't last forever, and after 2008, the Siegels were faced with a crushing reality, unable to pull together the kind of cash flow they were used to, which came to weaken Westgate Resorts, resulting in massive firings and missed payments, leaving the business on its knees, with David working around the clock to salvage what morsels were left. That Greenfield was there to document such a drastic "riches to rags" story is amazing, gifting "The Queen of Versailles" with an extraordinary perspective on the life of the couple and their eroding relationship in the face of ruin.
The picture is chilling at times, detailing the fracture at Westgate and the disintegration of the Siegel household as housekeepers were laid off (Jackie admits that she wouldn't have had so many kids if she knew there wouldn't be any nannies to take care of them), leaving their home a ghastly mess of spoiled food, animal feces, and general clutter. Greenfield keeps the focus on the absurdity of behavior and routine, studying David and Jackie for cracks in their veneer, hoping to expose a pinhole of vulnerability as the empire comes crashing down around them, introducing new realities for the pair and their kids, a spoiled yet observant bunch who will have to sing for their supper when adulthood hits them like a truck.
While David's a cantankerous, no-nonsense older man who's unusually honest about his situation, Jackie is the real jewel of the documentary. A top-heavy blonde with a pageant past, Jackie has grown to love her life in David's lap, embracing her trophy wife status (30 years separate the couple) with plastic surgery, endless spending, and a general disregard for modesty, permitting the camera to capture a delusion swirling about her that's riveting, emphasized with shots of ridiculous pictures and paintings that reinforce the household's extraordinary comfort with ostentation. Jackie's a Real Housewife in search of her own personal Bravo, trying to come off down-to-earth and peacefully daffy for the film, only she's unable to smother her proclivity toward irrational behavior, completely unaware how she appears to the outside world. Jackie Siegel is a gold mine for Greenfield, who wisely keeps attention trained on her to emphasize the delusions in play, reinforcing the true nature of the marriage when the tide turns and David slowly shuts out his family.
The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation immediately seizes attention with its handle on colors, with bright, bold hues communicating the Floridian world of the Siegels (with its pastels, Day-Glo touches, and gorgeous blue skies) and the opulence of the household, finding David's golden chair popping off the screen. Las Vegas neon also makes a fine impression, with blazing reds almost acting as a personal backdrop of hell for the interviewees. The differences and limitations of the HD camera equipment is detected, though most of the picture is captured with a clean, crisp look, with only a slight amount of ghosting and noise spotted. Black levels are generally expressive, though rarely tested beyond a few evening shots and some dark interiors of the house. Clothing texture remains free to inspect, while fine detail is especially strong with facial particulars, with interview close-ups generous with worry lines and emotions.
The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix shows some sense of life for a documentary, with musical cues, ranging from twinkly harpsichord recordings to more traditional scoring, keeping a compelling frontal hold while occasionally feeling out the surrounds, sounding supportive without stepping on the verbal exchanges. Atmospherics and group dynamics (especially during holiday celebrations) are also mildly circular, with echo reach and overlap of party interactions registering as intended. Interview segments are strong, deep, and emotionally precise, with moods easily understood, bringing a secure center foundation to the track. Low-end is perceptible but rarely excitable, and no distortion was detected.
Deleted Scenes (22:36, HD) follow through on the discussion of Jackie's upbringing, highlighting her return visit to the diner job of her youth, with the manager reminding his former employee of his advice to marry for money. Time is also spent with Jackie's niece Jonquil, understanding the teen's roots of poverty and loss before she's whisked back to the life of her rich caretakers. Additionally, we see Jackie deal with the sticky spray-on tan process, watch realtors walk though and brainstorm prices on Versailles, visit Westgate's Las Vegas woes (and witness more of the unnerving timeshare hard sell), and hear about home ownership troubles from one of the housekeepers.
And a Theatrical Trailer (2:34, HD) is also included.
Conversations with Filipino caregivers help to illuminate the domestic situation, and there's a valuable sequence covering the overwhelming sleaziness of the timeshare industry, where Richard openly admits disgust with his customers. Greenfield almost has too much to work with, leaving the film a little bloated near the end when it concentrates on the combative relationship between Jackie and David. Of course, it makes sense to find the director unwilling to walk away from such as a fascinating couple, resulting in a superb documentary and a powerful statement on the ugliness and delusion of greed.
Magnolia Pictures has revealed that it is planning to bring to Blu-ray The Queen of Versailles (2012). The film is directed by Lauren Greenfield, who won the U.S. Directing Award for Documentary Film at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. Street date is November ...
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