Affluenza (2014)

Strong and Moving!

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Watching Affluenza was another 80 minutes of my life that I'll never get back, and without any real dividends. It was a little like Playground of the Bummed Millennials, which I confess is out of my ken. "Hey! Let's get every twenty something actor we can get our hands on and make a totally obnoxious movie!" I get it's Gatsby inspired, but it seemed more like a carnal, hedonistic Sweet Valley High (and I hate those things!) Maybe the original idea had been decent, but only traces of a coherent plot and interesting/affable characters made it through the final edit. I hate it when indie films go so far south so quickly. And to think I bought the damn thing expecting better.

I really disliked the overall message of these types of movies, which is that we're supposed to feel sorry for the uber rich folks, because THEY evved up the global banking system and that some (about 0.01% of them) lost some money. Because, let's get real, all of those people are back on their feet again, making millions.So, sure, lots of crap is going on in the lives of wealthy people, but it's all First World Problems ... for 1 percenters.I like to see pretty actors like everyone, but to see them in a mediocre script, not surpassing the plot complexity of reality shows, is disappointing. I mean, two boys wanting the same spoiled shallow girl, girl does them both, being a slut, it doesn't get more boring than that. Then we have the "Stranger-In-Town-Stirs-Everything-Up"-plot line, and the "Ooooh,-See-How-Middle-Class-Folks,-Including-Those-Gay Middle-Class-Couples-Are-Much-Happier-Than-the-Rich"-plot line right at the end.And the ONE time the film ALMOST gets a bit daring/interesting, with the possible cousin-cousin incest, the filmmakers get all yelly belly and back off. Also when the main protagonist has a chance to make photos of political nature, he doesn't do it.Sad commentary on our film industry that well known actors like Guttenberg and Mathis felt compelled to partake in this.The Melancholic Alcoholic.

This is actually not a bad movie! Unfortunately the title leads viewers to expect more about 'the attitude of the super rich toward those outside of their circle' which never really happens.What we have is rich people interacting with other rich people! And this just turns the plot into a drama of lifestyles of the rich. There are plenty of television shows that do as much. The only character that seems to have a concept of life without money is Phillip Miller played by Steve Guttenberg - he goes to work to maintain his families lifestyle. The other characters just party.With the title 'Affluenza' I was expecting to see spoiled self indulgent rich people seeing the 'working class' and treating them with a decidedly cavalier attitude. Doesn't happen! They just stick to themselves and create the typical misbehaving rich people story. Ho-hum! Seen this way to many times.Most of the acting and dialog is good but the story just slides along on its dramatic path with predictable turns. It has it's moments of being good and Ben Rosenfield is rather good as the cousin Fisher Miller finding himself surrounded by the affluent family he's staying with while he tries to become a photographer.

To be totally honest here when a good scripts is at hand the cast is bad or they might be good looking but cannot act at all there are plenty of films like this out there the IMDb database is full of them the themes regarding recession,money,sex,relationship,love triangles etc you name it this film highlights the problems rich kids face everyone has its problems we all have seen films like this before but its not such a bad film as everyone saying including critics and people online why i liked this is because of some nice acting that's it nothing more.The Plot:in 2008 when recession hits USA young photographer fisher miller comes ton long island to live near his cousins Kate,Philip & bunny miller together they hang out around rich friends fisher soon sees that this proximity is not good and could have explosive consequences as money,sex drugs and showoff is going out of control he wants to get out of this Affluenza as soon as possible but things are not in the favor.The story is not bad its got a message who's fault is it if you have too much wealth and you can't take care of it and love to waste it on useless things a lot of people in the world worked hard and got rich on their own they didn't cheat,steal or do gambling they live happily thing point this film tries to make is this is the problem of parents who failed to teach their children the difference between right & wrong.Some kiddos to the cast Nicola Peltz & Valentina De Angelis are hot babes but male actors did some serious acting it kept me hooked they were acting like they have done this many times before but they are new artists like is said before everyone has issues so what if it is in the families or the critics that cant handle a nice film there is a little bit of nudity in this film.This is the kind of a film you can show to a person who says money can not change you it is absolutely the biggest lie ever it can totally control you it is pure evil people even sell their loved ones for cash it drives you insane like alcohol its intoxicating but it can never change a person with strong will to control ego or greed.Overall Affluenza 2014 is a film worth watching if you like some decent acting my rating is 5/10.Recommended