It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

I am a big follower of Indian Movies especially Malayalam and Hollywood.Shame on India for not sending this movie as their official Oscar entry. I have seen this movie and it has clearly revealed to me the maturity Hollywood cinema has in its screenplay and narrative which bollywood better catch up with.By the way to all we westerners, Hollywood Cinema is more qualitative and very different from Bollywood which is all about good looks glamour and promotion.Coming to the point what was India thinking when they sent a movie like 'Devdas' to the Oscars? That was a really a Masochist move. I think they are trying to punish Oscar judges with boredom by sending Devdas since the judges toppled Lagaan a few years back.'Devdas' is just a brigthly colored but stale and predictable melodrama of Love, fate and destiny. I would keep away from it. Anyway, not sending a movie like The Joneses shows how much of a revamp Indian administration needs to save them from poor administrators who lack intelligence. Now I know why this country has so many issues. They are heavily talented but not showcased properly.

'The Joneses' is an odd mix. It's not that well-known, despite having a cast-fill of recognisable faces heading it. Perhaps it's a difficult film to market, as people might expect an out and out comedy, when what they get is more of a wry satire on modern consumerism in the West.Without giving away the plot, The Joneses is about - as the saying goes - 'keeping up with the Joneses' and what people will do to avoid being seen as a lesser person to their neighbour. The story manages to balance being consistently funny with a scenario that holds up over ninety minutes, while at the same time, makes you think.David Duchovny is second on the cast list to Demi Moore, but he should definitely do more comedy (his few one-liners in the X-files always added a nice comedic element to Mulder's character). He really gets all the best lines, as she plays the 'straight man' to his observations. Their on-screen children aren't as fully developed character-wise as they could have been, but they play their small roles well.The Joneses may not be an absolute classic, but it is certainly different enough to be watchable and entertaining, while at the same time making you think about a few 'what ifs?' If you like satire, then give it a try. It's an undiscovered gem.

I think it's no small feat for a Hollywood movie to raise issues like consumerism and how we are subtly manipulated into buying very expensive stuff we don't really need. Not sure if the kind of marketing shown in the movie exists in the real world, but if it doesn't exist as such, probably quite a few variations are already there.Of course, this is still a Hollywood movie, so the whole theme has to be somehow tamed for general consumption; you get David Duchovny as a lonely old guy craving for a family (wasn't he getting treatment for sex addiction in real life? a bit ironic...), Demi Moore as a career-minded woman, some romance, some moral doubts from the main characters... A bit like the fictional plot in "The Player" that starts as a real drama and ends up as a blockbuster with Bruce Willis and Kim Basinger.Still, I think the movie manages to balance OK between serious matter and the usual Hollywood ingredients and clichés.

The Joneses begins with the arrival of a perfect family to a perfect community, with elegant houses, manicured courtyards and friendly neighbors; needless to say that the things are not like they seem. Like many other movies, The Joneses pretends to show us the dark side of the life in the idyllic North American suburbs, and it puts the focus on transmitting a message about the infinite ambition from modern marketing in order to make us automaton consumers, guided by the impulse and not by the reason.Many other films, books and TV series have censored the blind consumerism which infects the humanity; The Joneses comes too late to the party, and besides of that, it does not go as far as it should in order to provoke a genuine impact on the spectator. However, the message keeps feeling valid, and I also liked the humanity that screenwriter Derrick Borte (who was also the director) brought to the characters. Nevertheless, it could be said from another point of view that the emphasis on the characters' relationships with each other withdraws force to the satire, and as a consequence, I could not feel an adequate connection between both aspects.I think that the performances are this film's main pro. I think that David Duchovny already surpassed the stigmata of Agent Mulder thanks to his work in independent films and in the excellent TV series Californication; I think his performance in The Joneses shows him equally credible. As for Demi Moore, she reminds us that she is not only a celebrity, but also a solid actress whenever she works with the right material. Her work in The Joneses is subtle and honest, something which can perfectly express the internal conflict her character has during the whole movie. And I also liked the performances from Gary Cole and Glenne Headly pretty much.In conclusion, the lack of focus from the screenplay, its bland satire and its weak ending make The Joneses not to be a very satisfactory film. However, I can give it a slight recommendation because it kept me moderately entertained because of the solid performances and some interesting aspects from the screenplay.