Critics are giving this film mixed reviews: 'A' for effort; 'D' for execution; and 'F' for depth. Mostly, I agree. But critics are missing a glaring, unseemly trait of the film. Above all else, Lauren Greenfield's 'Generation Wealth' is a one hour and 46 minute advertisement for Lauren Greenfield. It screams narcissism. There isn't anything inherently wrong with self examination on camera, it's just that Greenfield comes up empty. If you believe, as the filmmaker does, that 'money can't buy you love' is an earth-shattering epiphany worthy of a feature-length film, then you absolutely ought to pay the $12 fine to watch her navel gaze. Better still, cough up the $75 retail price for Greenfield's 500-page companion book, coincidently titled -- 'Generation Wealth.' (Why yes, it did take her 500 pages to warn against the excesses of consumer capitalism. Irony? Hypocrisy? Obliviousness?)Ms. Greenfield has stated that she examines the extremes of a social phenomenon in order to understand it. She also adds, gymnastically, that this is not a film about the 'one percent'. What I saw were several vignettes of (mostly) wealthy people looking dumb or pathetic for their greed and ambition. Apparently, plain old middle class folks demonstrate greed and ambition in ways that aren't nearly as cinematic. Probably more accurately, the vast majority of us who do not occupy the highest or lowest rungs of the socioeconomic ladder, could never leave the theater feeling good about ourselves if Greenfield hadn't offered up the low hanging fruit for us to bash.If you've seen the film and consider my thoughts on it unnecessarily harsh, please consider Greenfield's immeasurably superior 2012 film, 'The Queen of Versailles.' What does 'Generation Wealth' add to her eloquent thesis on the perils of consumer capitalism from the earlier film? Take your time, I'll wait...If you considered the film 'eye-opening' or 'important', you've been sleepwalking through life. Wealthy people, like most other people, want more stuff. Greed and excess and narcissism are not novel. The 'American Dream' is as elusive as it's always been. Nothing to see here but bling porn and self-promotion of an artist's overstuffed retrospective.I found 'Generation Wealth' an insulting vanity project that condescends to its audience by presenting simple explanations (disguised with an aura of profundity) for the complex set of circumstances it purports to depict. Especially insulting is the idea that the movie cares at all about a (never defined) generation and/or its relationship to wealth. Mostly the filmmaker needs an audience to assure her that her life's work has merit (by the way, much of it truly does) and that the time she missed from her sons' young lives was worth it. I almost feel foolish assuming that the film was meant for my edification and entertainment. For all Greenfield's gaudy self-indulgence, she neglects her audience by failing to deliver for us. It's not difficult to feel an odd kinship with her son who, when questioned about her absence makes clear "...the damage has already been done."

I am not sure what the film maker, laura greenfield, is going for here, but she fails miserably. a documentary about self involved, self indulgent and greedy people might sound like fun, but it's not. believe me. you won't feel a drop of sympathy for anyone here. one thing i did notice. ms. greenfield seems to blame her mother for her own shortcomings. her mother is having none of it. proceed at your own risk.

We live in uncertain times, people are obessessed with their image, their bodies, their 'fame' and their popularity, but there's one thing we are all crazy about...Money. This is a documentary which goes behind the scenes of the lives of the rich and famous, showing how these people have given up their souls, humanity and empathy in order to get rich. A great documentary which is highly informative, detailed and entertaining. It's not for everyone, but everyone should watch it.

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.