Schadenfreude, the feeling of happiness at the misfortunes of another, is a tempting thing – mean-spirited, to be sure, but tempting, nonetheless. That’s particularly true when dealing with characters like the ones at the center of Lauren Greenfield’s stunning documentary, “The Queen of Versailles.”

But it’s hard to feel any joy at the cascading troubles visited upon Jackie and David Siegel, who let Greenfield and her cameras into their lives shortly after the economy crashed in late 2008 – taking David Siegel’s billionaire fortune with it. You feel pity, yes; and you get the occasional laugh (OK, more than occasional) at Jackie’s chipper cluelessness. But schadenfreude? Not so much.

“The Queen of Versailles” chronicles the Siegels’ travails from early 2009 into 2011. (More…)

The less said about Alexis Lloyd’s “30 Beats,” the better. (More…)