The Store (1983) by Frederick Wiseman (his first color documentary) is an all-access portrait of the Neiman-Marcus department store in downtown Dallas. Retailer Stanley Marcus (top still) sets the ambition to be the best; his customer-is-always-right philosophy is carried out by motivated employees from the boardroom to the backrooms. Marvelous observational sequences, alarming 1980s hairstyles and clothing, and now-almost-quaint old-school conspicuous consumption make the film a delight.
