The Joneses Movie Review

Demi Moore and David Duchovny star as a seemingly perfect couple who, along with their euqally perfect teenagers - Amber Heard and Ben Hollingsworth - move into an upscale gated community. The only problem is they're not a family - they are employees of a stealth marketing organisation and they know how to make everyone want what they've got.

The idea is that they move into an affluent neighbourhood with the purpose of enticing their status-conscious neighbours to desire all their cool stuff. From cocktails in juice boxes to flash frozen sushi to high tech golf clubs and high priced jewels.  

The Joneses follows the lices of a seemingly perfect American family in their affluent suburban paradise. Luxury cars, an enormous house, all the latest electronics. Life seems too good to be true as their fellow rich neighbours look on in envy.

For the first half of the movie, its very entertaining. Steve (David Duchovny) golfs and Kate (Demi Moore) goes to the salon. Subtly selling all the while. Kids, Jen (Amber Heard) and Mick (Ben Hollingsworth) quickly become popular at their new high school, showing off their gadgets. The Joneses throw lots of parties in their meticulous manse. Its their luxurious lifestyle that's doing the selling. 

While this may seem to be an ideal situation (no living expenses, free everything, a big salary, etc.) it is quickly revealed that the perfect on-the-surface family unit is wrought with nemerous problems.

Steve (father) is in reality more or less the nice guy who is having difficulty coming to grasp with both his role in the "family unit" as well as how to sell. Kate (Mother) has been in the pesudo-family business for years andf is free of attachment to people or things but has no authentic relationshops to hold onto in life. Meanwhile Jenn (daughter) is trying to sleep woth any man she can find including Steve. Despite these familial issues, neighbours buy into what the Joneses are selling and quickly begin to acquire things and rack up debt in an attempt to capture the "happiness" the Joneses have. 

As time goes by, Steve blossoms as a great salesman. However he begins to struggle with the idea that he may be doing more harm than good to his neighbours/friends by encouraging them to spend and spend.

The Joneses is not a bad movie by any means. Many reviewers seem to think that the movie cops out in the ending. I thought it was all tied up too neatly. But the message of redeem yourself before its too late, I thought that was a really good morale.