The Bling Ring Review
RYAN: Sofia Coppola’s latest writing/directing effort, The Bling Ring, is based on the true story of criminal high schoolers as profiled in a Vanity Fair article. It adapts well to the screen, largely because I love Emma Watson.
CAROLINE: These robberies were a major news story when they happened, which I totally remember of course, so it was really fun to see a movie version of it. But at the end of the day, this movie kind of just feels like a reenactment of what happened.
RYAN: Like all of Sofia’s previous films, this movie feels longer than it actually is and drags on a bit. In this case, it’s because of her music choices. I would have preferred bubblegum pop songs a la Katy Perry and Britney Spears.
CAROLINE: Since these events took place in 2008 and 2009, it’s funny to see who these kids thought were worthy of robbing; for example, Audrina Patridge. Where is she now?
RYAN: Ha, totally. The most upsetting part about this movie is that it really happened, and that these kids seem to completely lack remorse or even understanding of what they did. I loved Emma Watson. Her American accent is awesome and she not only exudes the carelessness of the character, and she also, without playing humor, is wickedly funny.
CAROLINE: There’s a lot to enjoy in this movie. It’s full of eye candy, including some scenes shot at the real home of Paris Hilton. The cast is great and they all played affected LA teens very well. Some of the things they do are truly shocking, and really upsetting; a few of these kids seem genuinely sociopathic.
RYAN: The bling and fashion in this movie is great. It rivals The Devil Wears Prada, but just shows the sick, twisted nature of celebrity culture as it’s related to reality TV. It’s almost like Roxie Hart in Chicago; the infamous become famous for the wrong reasons. Sadly, it’s an age old story that’s just exacerbated by reality TV stars today.
CAROLINE: I liked that the cast was mostly unknown actors, other than Hermione of course. There’s also the interesting casting of Gavin Rossdale, and then Leslie Mann plays the mom of one of the Bling Ringers. Their home life is truly a travesty.
RYAN: Paris Hilton and Kirsten Dunst play themselves as extras in a club scene. I got a kick of seeing Kirsten since we know she’s been in two of Sofia’s previous films. Perhaps Sofia can’t make a movie without her.
CAROLINE: Everyone is talking about how this movie conveys the sick relationship between the public and celebrities, and it’s definitely fun to watch that element. But I was hoping for more somehow. I can’t put my finger on it, but this movie left me a little bit disappointed.
RYAN: I really enjoyed it but agree that it’s not a home run, and that’s primarily because of the pacing. A 95-minute film shouldn’t feel like it’s dragging.
— BOTTOM LINE —
CAROLINE: I liked this movie and it’s fun to watch, especially since I’m a pop culture hound. It’s shot well and it looks good, but I wish it had done a bit more than just recreate the events.
RYAN: It reminded me a little bit in tone of Nicole Kidman’s To Die For. I liked it a lot, but it’s certainly something you can watch at home.
CAROLINE: Agreed. There are summer movies that need to be seen on the big screen and this is not one of them, even though it’s a fun watch.
