Watched: The Queen Of Versailles
The people in The Queen Of Versailles are real people - that’s the core of this film, I think. They are real people with complex histories, whose lives have morphed into a pantomime that leads to them developing attitudes that border on the offensive, and this film takes a very measured view; it never gives them more sympathy than they deserve, but it doesn’t turn them into unfeeling caricatures either.
The film, in short, is a riches-to-rags story, opening just before the financial crisis in 2008, when Westgate CEO David Siegel is deep into the construction of Versailles, the largest home in America. The crisis hits; a company that relies on mortgages to exist hangs on by the skin of its teeth; its super-rich owners get a little less super-rich and don’t know how to cope.
Pets die. Dog shit is left all over the floor. The hired help are driven to their breaking point, and in the middle of it all is Jackie Siegel, the socialite mother of seven kids who has grown so used to immense wealth that spending money has become compulsive. You get this weird conflict throughout, watching her struggle with cutbacks - on the one hand, part of you wants to wrinkle your nose in disgust at how any human being can be so utterly spoiled; at the same time, you can get a sense of how she got to this point.
Jackie Siegel isn’t just another trophy wife, though some in the film certainly see her that way - she started out modestly, earned a degree in computer engineering, and approached modelling as a business first and foremost. There’s a reason the film is called The Queen of Versailles, past the fact that it’s a catchy title; she’s arguably the most complex character in the whole movie.
David, Jackie’s husband is harder to like, especially once you get to know the context - fiercely political, he claims to have ensured George W. Bush ended up in office, and after the film was released hinted that he would fire anyone who didn’t vote for Mitt Romney. There was also a sexual harassment lawsuit levelled against David during filming, though this isn’t included in the movie (presumably because this was only made with the family’s consent, and excluding that was probably a condition). He cares about getting his company back, but little else - the welfare of his family is inextricably tied to the company’s success, so he focuses on the latter at the emotional cost of the former.
This was fascinating, repulsive and intriguing, and a definite recommendation. In the last year, Westgate has turned around and seen record profits, and this film humanises the people behind that immense wealth, for better and worse.