Had things gone as planned, “The Queen of Versailles” would have just been a glorified episode of MTV’s “Cribs”. Documentarian Lauren Greenfield began the project with the mind to chronicle the construction of America’s largest single family home and get a glimpse into life of David and Jakie Siegel, the filthy rich couple who wanted to build it. But luckily for Greenfield the country’s economic bubble burst September 2008 and things got very interesting for the Siegals. Lucky for the film, but not so much for the rest of the world.
We meet David Siegel in his early 70s enjoying the empire he built shilling time shares; destination resorts where the everyday Joe can go once a year and pretend to be a high roller. David did not have to pretend to be anything, the man was very successful and enjoyed more money than should be allowed. The star here (hence the title) is David’s wife Jakie, the former beauty queen who is amazingly good at spending buckets of cash while saying accidently horrible things to the help. While on vacation in France, the two came up with the grand scheme to build their dream house in Florida to resemble the palace of Versailles. Why not? Seems reasonable. 10 kitchens, a full sized baseball field, a grand ballroom etc. They do have 8 kids so it only makes sense.
David also has started a new venture in Las Vegas where people can “own” a piece of a hotel right on the strip. Big plans when money was cheap. Then America awoke from its impossible dream and it all came crashing down. We see first-hand what the economic failure did to the one percent. The house staff is reduced, cars are sold and the Vegas venture looks in danger of falling to pieces. But don’t think Jakie is going to pick up the dog poop. It doesn’t seem anyone does that.
“The Queen of Versailles” offers an amazingly honest glimpse into these people’s lives. Some of the revelations are shocking as David and Jakie share admissions to the camera that they never admit to each other. David finds no strength from his marriage and Jakie is terrified to be left for a newer model of trophy wife. The film will make you cringe as we see things that are better left private.
The story unfolds almost like a narrative film, with a true arch that both these people go through. Pay attention to the parallels that David shares with his father when it comes to being unlucky in Vegas and not being able to realize that that particular version of the American Dream is an illusion and unobtainable. Greenfield may repeat information from time to time in her telling but the film keeps a nice clip.
While it is easy to laugh and roll your eyes at the outlandish behavior of the Siegel’s, they really stand as an example of what went wrong in this country; spending and spending with no concept of the absurdity of it all. Their ignorance was the ignorance of many. Sure, the example is extreme but it serves as an amazing document of the hard times of which we are still in the grip. As America’s biggest home sits vacant and half finished it exists as a symbol of the craziness that enraptured the world.