TrueJoshNight Truly Dreadful Film

Console best movie i've ever seen.

Ezmae Chang This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Bumpy Chip It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

sabinal-52160 This documentary is as real as it gets. It talks about modern western society's, together with the rest of the world catching up, obsession with wealth, status and fame. Its brutal honesty is sad and scary, as we get to meet people who in their quest for wealth have sacrificed way more than they could handle. Living in Miami you get to see this exact obsession to the point of ridiculous a lot. People from all walks of life are willing to do anything, everything, whatever it takes, to get there , to be there, to make it ..no matter the price. It's a modern day race and mantra. Appreciating and enjoying finer things in life, as well as the beauty of luxury is understandable, aspiring to do better for yourself is fine, but going into unimaginable extremes can sometimes have dangerous consequences. I would like to add something which, perhaps, has not been stressed enough in the movie - everything in life is a personal choice , it's ok to be rich and "wealth" does not necessarily has to have a negative connotation. I agree with the opinion voiced in the documentary that a lot of it has to do with media celebrity cult and the capitalist system itself. A lot of people (not only teenagers) are not aware of how powerful mass media marketing is nowadays. Not everyone has the same standards and aspirations in life ,yet, this documentary has voiced some thoughts and emotions a lot of us were having for quite a while now but were too scared to admit.

David Ferguson Greetings again from the darkness. John Lennon wrote "Money don't get everything, it's true. What it don't get, I can't use. Now give me money. That's what I want." Gordon Gekko said "Greed, for lack of a better word, is good." Photographer-Director Lauren Greenfield (THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES, 2012) has spent the past 25 years chronicling the excesses of society. She now lets us in on what she has seen under her microscope (camera lens). It's no surprise that we see a society that values money and beauty, no matter the cost. She also makes this very personal by confessing her own decisions and experiences along the way.Serving as her own videographer, Ms. Greenfield's film began as a photographic gallery exhibition, was published as a photography book, and has now morphed into a feature length documentary - one that blends much of her previous work. Her lens focuses on such varied subjects as celebrity kids, porn stars, eating disorders, the fashion world, beauty pageants for kids, high commerce, plastic surgery, family sacrifices, the end of the gold standard, and historical societies. It will likely cause you to blush, as well as shake your head in a disgusted all-knowing manner.An unusual lineup of interviewees includes author Bret Easton Ellis, whose "Less Than Zero" is acknowledged as an inspiration by Ms. Greenfield; porn star Kacey Jordan, whose affiliation with bad boy Charlie Sheen made tabloid headlines; former billionaire Hedge Fund Manager Florian Homm; a workaholic woman with no time for a family or life; a participant from "Toddlers and Tiaras"; and journalist Chris Hedges who offers up a history lesson.Every segment of the film is about excess. The beauty pageant kid crows "money, money, money". Mr. Homm croons "come to me" as if speaking directly to money. The son of a rock star (Kevin Cronin of REO Speedwagon) speaks to growing up wealthy, and a high school classmate of Kate Hudson recalls her spouting off about her famous parents. Ms. Jordan admits to hoping one of her sex tapes (she has "lots") will put her on top like it did for her hero Kim Kardashian. Mr. Hedges explains via the Great Pyramids, that societies accrue their greatest wealth at the moment their decline begins (which of course is an obvious mathematical certainty). His point is that all "great" societies of the past have crumbled, but he expects when it happens to us, it will bring down much of the world.As director Greenfield interjects her own family (including her two sons) into the film, we get the feeling she is either making amends or perhaps using the process as her own therapy for the sacrifices she made for her career ... a career that puts a magnifying glass to society. She discusses the emphasis on wealth during the Ronald Reagan Presidency, and even throws in a glimpse of similar excesses in China, Moscow, Ireland and Dubai. The old values of hard work and saving money have morphed into what has now become the new American Dream of consumption and luxury. It's a Kardashian society - or at least a society that dreams of living the life of a Kardashian. By the end of the film, the entertaining tales of Mr. Homm's lust for the almighty greenback has given way to a devastatingly sad (in a pitiful way) story unworthy of his cigar twirling. A Beverly Hills woman so desperate to purchase the hot new luxury handbag explains the "what's next" syndrome. The fixation, even addiction, to money, status, and physical beauty seems to be one that can't be cured ... though the film ignores those who don't share in the "dream". We are reminded to be careful what you wish for, and that "Money can't buy me love" ... or even much happiness. Ms. Greenfield's tale attempts to end with a lesson in values - hug those close to you, but the overall message is entirely too downbeat for such a final pick-me-up.

dailey_j Shines a light on the evolution of our collective, destructive and avaricious tendencies that could put our society, country and world in danger. It's well told and enjoyable film.

JustCuriosity Photographer/Director Laurie Greenfield's Generation Wealth was extremely well-received at Austin's SXSW Film Festival (coming off of its appearances at Sundance and the Berlin Film Festival). It is a remarkable cinematic journey as she revisits those she has photographed for previous projects which have often focused on excessive wealth. Greenfield eloquently captures the decaying of the American Dream as a form of corrupt capitalism has eaten away at American idealism and replaced it with a form extreme narcistic materialism. In many ways this film explains - while barely mentioning him - how this country could elect corrupt narcissist as its President. It describes a country where beauty, sex, fame, and status have all become commodities on sale to the highest bidder Greenfield takes it a step further by intriguingly adding herself and her own family as part of the story and suggesting that her careerism is also part of the problem. The photography is beautiful and provides a powerful narrative of the collapse of the American Dream. Highly recommended to all who care about the future of America. Greenfield should be commended for a work that is both personal and political.