The Joneses (2010)

An Exercise In Nonsense

The first must-see film of the year.

The acting in this movie is really good.

Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

The Joneses is a satirical film that tackles consumerism and materialism in light of the global recession and tough economic difficulties that the world especially the United States is currently experiencing.It stars Demi Moore and David Duchovny (or David Duchovny and Demi Moore as the credits put it) together with Amber Heard and Lauren Hutton. It was written and directed by Derrick Borte.It starts when the Joneses - a picture-perfect wealthy family - moves into a rich community and starts impressing the neighborhood with expensive things.This forces them an issue of consumerism and materialism.Steve and Kate as well as their kids Jennifer and Mick become instant celebrities as that their affluent neighbors want to emulate especially with the gadgets and gizmos that money can buy.But things become morally conflicted with the Joneses as they become aware of the bad effects that has brought to their neighbors especially the ones who live next door - Larry and Summer - as well as the psychological effects of their pretension to become effective in their jobs as salesmen for LifeImage - the source of expensive items that the neighbors are buying from. Despite the fact that the movie played it safe at the conclusion by becoming melodramatic,I felt that it was a good film that discusses important issues facing the world today such as consumerism and materialism in times of difficult economic times around the world.It makes the viewer think about why we buy things and how money has become the focal point in many people's lives today.Aside from that,it also makes the viewer realize that there are more important things in life such as love,family,freedom,acceptance,sincerity and happiness rather than the expensive gadgets that is being produced in the market today.In addition to that,it also become a cautionary tale about our attitude towards money and material things.The cast particularly Duchovny,Moore and Heard also made it watchable and entertaining.Overall,Borte did a great job despite its flaws at the end.

I think that as a whole this movie is very well done. It's a good story with an interesting base and solid performances from all the actors. This film can be basically taken (but not limited to) two different ways. Either this film is just plain entertainment; a Friday night filler with the family, or this is a message to the consumers of the world. We have to be careful who we believe out there. Everybody is trying to sell something. A person applying for a job is trying to sell their work ethic. Your blind date is trying to sell their personality. This world is full of advertisements vying for your attention and it won't be long before establishments like the Joneses unit exist in the world. There is a line that Steve uses while trying to sell his watch to his golf buddies- "It's all about who leaves with the most toys." If you want to live that way then fine, that's your choice, but just see what that did to the Joneses and all of their neighbors. It's definitely something to think about. Then again, maybe it's just a movie. It all depends on how you want to see it.

Not really of course. This is anything but a conventional family movie. Saying more would be a spoiler (at least in my book), but let me tell you that if you like wicked social commentary, you will also like this movie. It is also nice to see Demi Moore in a role that requires her to act, with David Duchovny doing his thing. The whole concept is really well though of.It's not a perfect movie by all means of course, but I personally liked the humor in it (even if understated). Try not to read too much about the actual story though (as I stated above) and watch it with a free mind, to get the full effect of the movie

The Joneses begins with the arrival of a perfect family to a perfect community, with elegant houses, manicured courtyards and friendly neighbors; needless to say that the things are not like they seem. Like many other movies, The Joneses pretends to show us the dark side of the life in the idyllic North American suburbs, and it puts the focus on transmitting a message about the infinite ambition from modern marketing in order to make us automaton consumers, guided by the impulse and not by the reason.Many other films, books and TV series have censored the blind consumerism which infects the humanity; The Joneses comes too late to the party, and besides of that, it does not go as far as it should in order to provoke a genuine impact on the spectator. However, the message keeps feeling valid, and I also liked the humanity that screenwriter Derrick Borte (who was also the director) brought to the characters. Nevertheless, it could be said from another point of view that the emphasis on the characters' relationships with each other withdraws force to the satire, and as a consequence, I could not feel an adequate connection between both aspects.I think that the performances are this film's main pro. I think that David Duchovny already surpassed the stigmata of Agent Mulder thanks to his work in independent films and in the excellent TV series Californication; I think his performance in The Joneses shows him equally credible. As for Demi Moore, she reminds us that she is not only a celebrity, but also a solid actress whenever she works with the right material. Her work in The Joneses is subtle and honest, something which can perfectly express the internal conflict her character has during the whole movie. And I also liked the performances from Gary Cole and Glenne Headly pretty much.In conclusion, the lack of focus from the screenplay, its bland satire and its weak ending make The Joneses not to be a very satisfactory film. However, I can give it a slight recommendation because it kept me moderately entertained because of the solid performances and some interesting aspects from the screenplay.