It seems fitting that the day after tax day a movie about over-spending hits theaters…
THE JONESES is a Demi Moore/David Duchovny vehicle made a couple years ago and now seeing a limited release. Still, its riff on modern consumerism run amok and the evils of valuing things over real human connections should ring true now more than ever.
Wearing its product placement like a badge of honor, THE JONESES works early as the central joke is casually revealed and much fun is had by the attractive cast. Moore and Duchovny play Mr. and Mrs. Jones, a picture perfect couple who move into an affluent neighborhood with their two beautiful teen children. But the Joneses aren’t a real family, rather they’re one that has been carefully constructed by a company for the purpose of pushing high-end merchandise surreptitiously onto the Jones’ rich neighbors. And the amusing setup takes the film far as Mr. and Mrs. Jones and their children engage in some spirited competition in order to increase sales numbers. But as the story moves beyond the clever plot contrivance, it runs out of steam. And even at a scant 96 minutes, THE JONESES can wear on you.
Part of the problem with the film is the casting of two extremely recognizable actors in a story that is essentially a play within a play. Part of the gimmick here is the how the mystery unfolds and then how it is managed. The movie is about secret salesman living amongst us—influencing what we buy. Duchovny plays a failed golf pro and former car salesman new to the business of posing as a “husband” to push products. His “wife,” played Moore, is the head of their “unit,” and although clearly attracted to Duchovny’s character, she cannot permit herself to become emotionally involved with him. The characters that Moore and Duchovny inhabit are kept so much at arm’s length that the viewer is never given enough detail to relate in any meaningful way with them. My mind wandered and drifted to thoughts of Demi and her young master Kutcher and Duchovny’s troubles with reported sex addiction. In other words, I never connected with the Mr. and Mrs. Jones. Moore and Duchovny couldn’t sell these characters because they were nothing more than intentional blanks on which little substance is built.
The hollow characterizations pointed up the film’s cautionary message—things can’t replace good old-fashioned human connection. But that message is only hinted at as the film draws to a close. Never wanting to get either too dark or go too playful either, THE JONESES is a good idea executed with all the depth of a Microsoft KIN advertisement. And the emotions end up being as deep as your social network wall.
Still, the creepy idea and eclectic casting is worth a look, and it might have you questioning who your neighbors are and why they have all those wonderful toys.
NOTE: Since this movie was made a couple years ago, one of the big products missing from the amazing array of things the Joneses push is the iPad and anything made by Apple for that matter. But the HTC phones used by the characters are cool—complete with front facing cameras that would permit video-conferencing on the fly from your palm. Watch closely for the build design of these handheld devices, however, and you can see that the film is already a bit dated.
