Ilona, seen here at home with her daughter, Michelle, 4, in Moscow, is interviewed in the documentary “Generation Wealth.” (Lauren Greenfield/Institute)

Ilona, seen here at home with her daughter, Michelle, 4, in Moscow, is interviewed in the documentary “Generation Wealth.” (Lauren Greenfield/Institute)

An out-of-focus ‘Generation Wealth’ takes look at shallowness

This documentary film is about conspicuous consumption in modern America — of the Kardashian style.

If you have lately turned from the headlines and concluded that society is about to implode, the new documentary “Generation Wealth” is here to confirm your worst fears.

This movie is a mosaic of distorted values and conspicuous consumption. I would say it’s like being locked in a room showing a repeated loop of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” episodes, except I’ve never sat through that show, which explains the thin threads of innocence I have left.

The Kardashians turn up in “Generation Wealth,” along with a roster of plastic-surgery fanatics and affluent men whose cigar-smoking evidently replaces some other primal need. I know Freud said “Sometimes a cigar is only a cigar,” but he hadn’t seen this movie.

A few years ago photographer/filmmaker Lauren Greenfield made “The Queen of Versailles,” a study of a grotesque couple building a mega-mansion in Florida. For her new film, she’s widened the scope considerably — and not always to the film’s benefit.

One of Greenfield’s most flamboyant subjects is Florian Homm, a German-born former investment banker, currently avoiding extradition back to the USA. Homm, apparently auditioning to be the next “Mission: Impossible” villain, speaks of his money-grubbing transgressions, knowing how wrong it all was. His amused, articulate observations are worth a movie of their own — and for the record, his relationship to his expensive cigar is that of a drowning man to an oxygen tank.

There’s also a Las Vegas “VIP hostess” (you don’t want to know), as well as a hedge-fund investor, called Suzanne, whose steely gaze never falters. Whether she’s talking about money, the acquisition of art, or her repeated attempts at having a baby, Suzanne remains fiercely committed to closing the deal.

Greenfield also revisits a group of privileged teens she photographed a couple of decades ago. This is one of the most revealing sections of the film: some of the kids went through rough times and came out as thoughtful people, and some are exactly as gross and obnoxious as they were at 17.

A few of Greenfield’s subjects, including a porn star mixed up in the Charlie Sheen-o-verse, steer the film away from its focus on wealth. And in its final half-hour, “Generation Wealth” turns the camera on Greenfield herself, as she questions how devotion to her work has taken a toll on her family life.

These are worthy issues, but Greenfield’s argument widens so far she loses focus. (It might also be a good rule of thumb that when a documentary filmmaker has a strong subject already, it’s a mistake to bring her own story center stage.)

Maybe it’s the title that’s misleading. This film isn’t so much about wealth as it is about shallowness, and a startling lack of character. These folks, so desperate to fill the emptiness, chase an outsized idea of “winning” gleaned from a reality TV or a music video.

When you see Suzanne’s thousand-yard-stare beaming out of her surgically-sculpted face, you see the terrible hunger for something, anything, to fill the void. Greenfield asks her why she’s sacrificing so much for success, and Suzanne briskly answers, “Money.” But that’s not really it. Notwithstanding Cyndi Lauper, money doesn’t change everything.

“Generation Wealth” (2½ stars)

Documentary look at conspicuous consumption in modern America, with lots of examples of the Kardashian style on revolting display. There are some devastating examples here, although director Lauren Greenfield broadens her scope so that the movie isn’t just about wealth but about shallowness, which is going a little too wide.

Rating: R, for language, nudity

Opening Friday: SIFF Cinema Uptown

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

What’s Up columnist Andrea Brown with a selection of black and white glossy promotional photos on Wednesday, June 18, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Free celeb photos! Dig into The Herald’s Hollywood time capsule

John Wayne, Travolta, Golden Girls and hundreds more B&W glossies are up for grabs at August pop-up.

Rodney Ho / Atlanta Journal-Constitution / Tribune News Service
The Barenaked Ladies play Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville on Friday.
Coming events in Snohomish County

Send calendar submissions for print and online to features@heraldnet.com. To ensure your… Continue reading

Edmonds announces summer concert lineup

The Edmonds Arts Commission is hosting 20 shows from July 8 to Aug. 24, featuring a range of music styles from across the Puget Sound region.

Big Bend Photo Provided By Ford Media
2025 Ford Bronco Sport Big Bend Increases Off-Road Capability

Mountain Loop Highway Was No Match For Bronco

Cascadia College Earth and Environmental Sciences Professor Midori Sakura looks in the surrounding trees for wildlife at the North Creek Wetlands on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 in Bothell, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Cascadia College ecology students teach about the importance of wetlands

To wrap up the term, students took family and friends on a guided tour of the North Creek wetlands.

Mustang Convertible Photo Provided By Ford Media Center
Ford’s 2024 Ford Mustang Convertible Revives The Past

Iconic Sports Car Re-Introduced To Wow Masses

Kim Crane talks about a handful of origami items on display inside her showroom on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, in Snohomish, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Crease is the word: Origami fans flock to online paper store

Kim’s Crane in Snohomish has been supplying paper crafters with paper, books and kits since 1995.

The 2025 Nissan Murano midsize SUV has two rows of seats and a five-passenger capacity. (Photo provided by Nissan)
2025 Nissan Murano is a whole new machine

A total redesign introduces the fourth generation of this elegant midsize SUV.

A woman flips through a book at the Good Cheer Thrift Store in Langley. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Pop some tags at Good Cheer Thrift Store in Langley

$20 buys an outfit, a unicycle — or a little Macklemore magic. Sales support the food bank.

The Mukilteo Boulevard Homer on Monday, May 12, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘Homer Hedge’: A Simpsons meme takes root in Everett — D’oh!

Homer has been lurking in the bushes on West Mukilteo Boulevard since 2023. Stop by for a selfie.

Sarah and Cole Rinehardt, owners of In The Shadow Brewing, on Wednesday, March 12, 2025 in Arlington, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
In The Shadow Brewing: From backyard brews to downtown cheers

Everything seems to have fallen into place at the new taproom location in downtown Arlington

Bar manager Faith Britton pours a beer for a customer at the Madison Avenue Pub in Everett. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Burgers, brews and blues: Madison Avenue Pub has it all

Enjoy half-price burgers on Tuesday, prime rib specials and live music at the Everett mainstay.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.