The Joneses
Directed by Derrick Borte
USA
By Rachel West
The talent of The Joneses
The Joneses brings new literal meaning to “keeping up with the Joneses” as neighbours do battle to gain superstar status within their lush community in this social satire.
Meet the Joneses: they’re the postcard-perfect new neighbours in an affluent gated community. They have the latest in home furnishings, high-tech gadgets, and sports cars. To top it off, they are incredibly good-looking and highly likeable people who throw such amazing parties that their neighbours can’t help but clamor to be like them. The Joneses are who we as the audience aspire to be. Kate (Demi Moore) and Steve Jones (David Duchovny) makes friends with their neighbours, Larry and Summer, who — more than anyone — seek the approval of their affluent new friends, and will stop at nothing to be like them. When catastrophe strikes, both families must re-evaluate their lifestyles and make difficult choices that define who they are and who they want to be.
A smart film, The Joneses is both a commentary on and satire of American consumer society, which strives to have the biggest and best of everything. The almost unquenchable thirst for possessions and products is taken to extreme limits in the film, which can be understood as a cautionary tale, urging viewers to curb their insatiable drive for material goods. The products the Joneses have are as much characters in the story as the Joneses’ are themselves.
First-time director Derrick Borte frames the desirable products and luxury goods as if he were shooting a high-end commercial. During the world premiere screening at TIFF, Borte commented that he had a hard time gaining permission to shoot certain products, since consumerism and marketing are painted in such a dark light in the film. Not to be mistaken for a film full of product placements and brand name-dropping, The Joneses is a film about people, no matter how superficial they may seem, and their ability to rise above the marketing bombardment of products that surround us every day.
Interestingly enough, it should also be noted that there is another film this year — also called The Joneses —which deals with the same subject of trying to keep up with one’s neighbour in the quest for flashy things. The similarity both in title and subject matter of these films is a sign of the times. With debates about recessions and our current economic climate all around, The Joneses has come at a time when people are being forced to re-evaluate the importance of things they once coveted, just as the characters in the film begin to examine their own lives.
The subject matter in The Joneses is quite unique as it is blatantly about consumerism without being too in your face about it. It also does not take the stance of “buying is bad” but merely presents the underside of extreme consumption and the excessive tactics of marketing. Whether this film will be judged as cop-out by some for not taking a harder stance is irrelevant, since the story stands on its own well-heeled legs without depending on being taken as a “message film.”
Demi Moore is given one of her best roles in years as Kate, the head-of-household in the family. Kate is full of ambition and quite determined to make herself and her family successful in their new neighbourhood. Even with her intense motivation and steely determination, Kate is quite likable, as she is a friendly and gracious host to her new neighbours. It is a credit to Moore that she is such an enjoyable character to watch on screen. Kate’s husband Steve, played by David Duchovny, is second in command and the one everyone roots for. Duchovny plays Steve to the hilt, filled with his trademark smirky charm and deadpan one-liners.
Whether or not The Joneses gains theatrical distribution in North America remains to be seen, but the film is worth a look for those who are interested in the ideas behind our mass consumption, or in the mood for a smart film with well-developed characters.
