Arts & Entertainment

A Day At The NH Film Festival: Craigslist Hookups, Timeshare Kings Fall

Patch Editor Robert Michaelson checks out some of the films at the NH Film Festival.

The NH Film Festival is coming to a close today with another year of big showings and hidden gems under its belt.

I took on a documentary and a unique independent comedy during my time in Portsmouth, and neither of them disappointed. One of the biggest letdowns in modern cinema is always knowing the plot from the trailers, so I decided to go into these two films a bit blind for my own sake.

These were just a few of the many films shown each year at the NH Film Festival in Portsmouth. Find out more here.

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The Collapse of a Kingdom

First up to bat was the documentary titled “The Queen of Versailles” directed by Lauren Greenfield. The film follows billionaires Jackie and David Siegel as they build the largest home in America before their lives take a surprising and dark turn.

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David Siegel is the owner of real estate and timeshare company Westgate Resorts, which landed him a fortune in cash and influence as one of America’s richest men. The documentary starts off with flashes of their lavish lifestyle while their gigantic home, worth millions upon millions, is in construction.

The filmmakers take great care to show the reality of their situation in the fairest way possible, but one cannot help but laugh as Jackie Siegel talks about her pricey buying habits and the insane luxuries that wealth affords their families.

I had no idea what to expect from the film, and it looks like the family and the moviemakers had no idea either. The financial collapse of 2008 hits right in the middle of production, and the movie goes from a “look how rich these people are” spectacle into a riches to rags story from all angles.

It seems that David’s greed and reliance on banks turned into his downfall as his incredibly successful company began laying off workers, cutting costs and breaking down after hemorrhaging money.

The effect on Westgate is seen in his family as the wealthy group is forced to sell off their assets and actually worry about what they spend. With the banks in control of their assets, the family can no longer afford private schools, jets and lavish parties.

The documentary does a great job of not only telling the untold story of how the super-rich are affected by the economic downturn, but also how those around them fare. Much time is taken to talk to their maids, employees and driver as they cope with the losses.

One does not expect to go into a documentary about the richer portion of our country and feel bad for them, but it is Jackie that humanizes the family. When you look past her lavish and incredibly fake looks (her implants took center stage in most every shot), you see a mother who just wants what is best for her family.
Sure she seems like a materialistic opportunist, but the camera lens shows a touching side to a woman who had it all. On the flipside, her much-older husband goes from confident billionaire to wretched miser as we see the failings of his company take its toll on the businessman.

Jackie does what she can to keep the family together and, however incompetent she seems, it is much more than her husband makes an effort to do. As the story grows grimmer toward the end we see a money-obsessed man desperately try and repair his company, while his family slowly dissolves around him.

This documentary is a must-see and a reminder of how our financial system leaves plenty of room for error and corruption, which is personified in the monetary downfall of Westgate. The film took great care not to simply mock the family’s lifestyle as it slowly crumbles and portrayed the characters as honestly as possible. There are still plenty of laughs to be had, especially when there is a decrease of help in their home and an increase in dead pets.

This movie does more than portray a family’s personal troubles, but also represents a larger message of living beyond our means and driving our businesses past the point of reasonable growth. The quest for material possessions is dampened after watching their nanny talk about her life, or how they do nothing for a family’s happiness.

“The Queen of Versailles” is a show for everybody looking for a human side to social and economic classes throughout the economic crisis. It is a mirror that reflects on the failings of the past and brings us face-to-face with our own greed and materialistic tendencies.

I started the film laughing at a wealthy family’s disconnect from reality, when in fact that separation can be seen throughout society if we look at ourselves once in awhile.

Making A Real Connection

“Missed Connections” direct by Eric Kissack actually hits a lot more points than the usual romantic comedy, especially since it is based on a rather ridiculous premise of online trickery.

The main character Neal is trying to get over a cheating ex, which translates to quitting his job and spiraling into depression. Luckily, his friends have just the cure for his relationship blues: taking advantage of desperate girls on Craigslist.

Their plan involves going onto the “missed connections” section on Craiglist, where people are desperately trying to connect with a stranger they may have crossed eyes with at a supermarket, or seen driving down the highway. Neal pretends to be their mystery man through email, and takes advantage of their desperation after they actually don’t show up to a meeting.

This translates into plenty of adult good times, but the main character soon finds out that there is a girl named Jane who is using this website for another reason. I’ll let you find out what happens between them.

I am not a fan of most romantic comedies, since the majority host paper-thin characters on top of shallow, obvious plots. This movie managed to throw a couple of surprises on top of a tired genre.

The actors were great and the laughs were most certainly there, although I could do without the typical “weird friend” character butting in with some dumb random comment or reaction. This actor didn’t get too overboard with that stereotype, so I let is slide.

The movie was high on laughs and low on the cheese that stinks up most romantic comedies. It has heart underneath a far fetched concept that one COULD pull of in real life, if they were idiots.

A post-viewing chat with the producer revealed that the movie only cost $25,000 to make, which is surprising with this level of quality. Much of the funding came from Kickstarter and personal favors from outside and within the production. The actors offered to work pro bono to make this movie happen, which is pretty amazing.

At the end of the day I felt like I made the right choice with the films I saw, despite the fact I chose them randomly. They were great examples of films that fit well in their genre and truly showed effort and hard work.

Kudos to the good folks behind these gems.


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