The Joneses

The Perfect Family

David Duchovny has been one of my favorite actors since I was nine years old. I was first introduced to him, as many were I assume, via the absolutely fantastic X-Files. I remember renting X-Files VHS tapes from the library to catch up on it (because when I started, it was already into season 5 or 6). I remember being in the children's hospital for a week when I was 10, watching X-Files all day on VHS. Speaking of, if I'm ever remitted to an extended hospital stay again, it better be at a children's hospital. They have some nice digs. Private room. Your own TV. I'd hope nowadays they'd have DVD players, but who knows.

Imagine my excitement when I came across a series known as Californication. David Duchovny plus lots of sexual material? Nudity? Drugs? Alcohol? Holy fuck. So a couple years ago I quickly caught up on that show, which is one I still watch.

Duchovny's film career has never been that prolific. I remember seeing him long ago (for me) in Evolution, which wasn't anything to speak proudly of. He had a hilarious cameo in Zoolander. I actually greatly enjoyed Return to Me, but found it a bit formulaic - still highly enjoyable. I liked both X-Files films (surprise, surprise), and never saw House of D or The TV Set. But, to put it plainly, he's never been a highly recognized film star. His greatest successes have been in television.

With The Joneses, I found a greatly entertaining, funny film with some excellent performances by both Duchovny and Demi Moore (who, at almost 50 - in this film, looks great). It's an excellent satire of modern American consumerism and materialism. To describe the plot would be an abomination. The plot is its great surprise. The netflix description basically says "The Joneses are a perfect family on the surface with a shocking secret." That's all I knew when I saw it. And the reveal of such secret was one of its many pleasures. So I shall not ruin it.

Its other pleasures? It's funny. It's satirical. It's well-acted. Flaws? This could has been a more topical, relevant film for our time. Instead, it tries much too hard. I admired it some for its ambition, but sometimes ambition can be your downfall. Just ask Napoleon.

With that said, I greatly enjoyed Demi Moore and Duchovny here. Amber Heard is also fun to watch, who I have seen most prominently in Drive Angry and All The Boys Love Mandy Lane. She is a gifted actress. And incredibly attractive. Those two in combination never hurt.

The Joneses is a good film. Not a great one. But worth seeing. On netflix instant.

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