The Movie
What if your entire life was your job, and your "family" merely co-workers? Such is the case for The Joneses , the aspirational brood next door. They act like regular folks who are just happy about their latest purchases, but they are covertly, continuously on the clock as salespeople. It's called "stealth marketing," and in an era where Americans are practically encouraged to covet thy neighbor's belongings, everything they touch is positioned as an object of desire, the newest and best of everything, from beer to clothes to cars and more.
Faux patriarch Steve Jones (David Duchovny) is new to the game, tasked with charming and subtly selling the would-be friends in his new town, and reporting to his faux wife (Demi Moore) each night. It's a living, but it takes its toll on the entire "unit" in different ways, as they must keep up appearances at all costs, while avoiding any real human connection. It's just business, after all, but when things go bad, can they even reach out to each other for support?
The Picture
For a movie that came and went in theaters in the blink of an eye last year, The Joneses brings video quality as good as any major studio release. Detail is crisp and natural, to the point that I can read the labels inside Steve's designer duds. I noted a little flicker in the slats of a dock in the rain, a touch of film grain, some noise on the stones or bricks of a house in the background, although out-of-focus areas here don't usually exhibit that slightly distorted flatness that's a problem common to many discs. Blacks too are strong and rich.
The Sound
There's not a tremendous lot going on sonically beyond the dialogue, but effort has clearly been made to acknowledge the 5.1 channels available for this DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. It might just be a door opening/closing off-camera in a discrete speaker, or the sound of an indoor golf simulator that fills the room. Music flows out into the rears as well, with a more dynamic 360-degree spread for a party. It's fine for the subject at hand, if not spectacular.
The Extras
The only extras are a pair of deleted scenes that showcase Steve, one showing his original job interview which ties into a moment from the final film, the other showing what he winds up doing for work after a parting of the ways. They total four-and-a-half minutes and are presented in standard definition. I would have expected Fox to include a mini-documentary on the phenomenon of stealth marketing, since it's a real, still-little-known business practice, but no.
Final Thoughts
Not quite as edgy or original as I was expecting, The Joneses is nonetheless an interesting, enlightening drama. The extras are rather lean, but their disc looks terrific, and they wouldn't have it any other way.
Product Details
Where to Buy:
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