Movie Review #34 The Joneses

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The Joneses (2009) David Duchovny, Demi Moore Directed by Derrick Borte

Though it was made in 2009, The Joneses was just released (limited release). At times this film by first time director Derrick Borte, is an absolutely brilliant satire about capitalism and the culture of consumerism, and at other times it is a cliché filled story with a predictable climax. The Joneses misses the mark ultimately…but not by much.

The Joneses is the story of a fake family, made up of actors, put together by an advertising firm to be transplanted to a fancy neighborhood…um to make neighbors envy their perfect lives and want the things they have… therefore selling products that the fake family push and appear to own. Got it? It is both goofy story and a smart one that for the most part actually works. David Duchovny (playing David Duchovny…which I usually kill actors for just being themselves in movies, but with Duchovny, he is so cool, I actually don’t mind his quiet sarcastic normal ways) plays Steve…he is the newest member of this dream team family real-life advertisement. Kate (played very well by Demi Moore) is the leader of the group (as well as the fake mother) and she is the most ambitious of the family. The message of the movie is actually quite poignant, and the results of the culture of consumerism can be pretty awful…and the movie goes to those ends to show you some of that awfulness. Gary Cole shows up as the neighbor Larry in a really good performance that only gets bad at the end (otherwise I would’ve smelt Oscar), and the always annoying Amber Heard is forced on us as the slutty fake sister/daughter Jenn (she really isn’t that hot, and really not a great actress…and yet I know Hollywood keeps pushing her..why?). Even Lauren Hutton has a nice cameo as the big advertising boss KC, who is ruthless and evil in her brief screen time. The film is worth watching and is probably just a few flaws short of being really good…but those flaws are just too obvious in the end. I won’t highly recommend this film, but I will suggest you go and rent it on a night where you’re bored and feel like shopping and blowing some money you don’t have….I think if you watch The Joneses…you might just stay in and wait for the next sale to roll around.

(The Shawshank Scale 1-10) Smart, interesting, great message, solid cast, but in the end felt flawed…I give The Joneses a reasonable 5.5 on the Shawshank Scale. Consumerism can be real evil and our country is bleeding from debt, but if you want to see a movie that delivers the message more accurately try Capitalism (A love story) or Maxed Out (both documentaries that are good).

Food For Thought: I didn’t eat at this film, but try butterscotch chips instead of chocolate chips next time you make cookies…wicked awesome. Up next for Duchonvy is a film called Mt. Pleasant but you can watch him now on the great Showtime series…Californication (I wait till the whole season is done and then watch which works better). For Demi Moore there is Bunraku about a drifter who finds trouble, it co-stars Woody Harrelson and Josh Hartnett, both of which I like. The obnoxious Amber Heard has about 30 movies coming up in the near future as Hollywood continues to shove her down our throats…the best sounding of those films is a little one called The River Why about a big-city guy who leaves that life to be in the wild.