Review of The Bling Ring (2013) by Blake P — 02 Jan 2014

"Girls, time for your Adderal!" announces Laurie Moore (Leslie Mann), mom to Nicki (Emma Watson) and Sam (Taissa Farmiga), before their home school session begins. Laurie is a flailing mom, one that tries her best but instills the ideal that the best way to achieve success is to achieve fame - everyday life is filled with fake cheerfulness that is just as fake as the hope that her daughters will be somebody one day.

It's no wonder that these two girls eventually become members of the famed Bling Ring, a group of kids that became just as famous as their victims by robbing the houses of celebrities, including Orlando Bloom, Lindsay Lohan, and Paris Hilton. The story is absurd, and immediately it would be unbelievable; if it wasn't a true story, it surely would have been a concoction for nutty fiction.

The Bling Ring in the film consists of mastermind Rebecca (Katie Chang), follower Marc (Israel Broussard), the two-faced Nicki and her mopey sister Sam, and the guiltless Chloe (Claire Julien); they all may have different personalities, but the one thing they have in common is their desire for fame and fortune. It begs the question: do they steal from celebrities to be just like them, or is it an attempt to mask their truths and be someone else?

The fascinating story is helmed by Sofia Coppola ("Lost in Translation", "Marie Antoinette"), and her usual artsy style weaves into the story and compliments it. When most filmmakers foray into the "true story" world, their usual quirks as a director are left behind, as they are more focused on making sure every detail is correct rather than give the film a personality.

Similar to how she created "Marie Antoinette", but with a bit more substance, Coppola gives the story a three-dimensional shape. By using a club ready soundtrack that includes Kanye West and Azealia Banks, teenage culture is more easily seen. By using whites and beiges within the walls of Beverly Hills, we see a bland life that gives us a hint as to why the members of The Bling Ring went to celebrity homes to try and take a souvenir that would brighten up their world.

Each of the characters could easily star in their own movie - we're given little snippets into their psyche, but you can't help but wonder how many differences their are between their interior and exterior. It's easily shown that they are trying to cover up their true feelings, but you can't help but want to explore their childhoods and their relationships with their parents. Many kids end up just fine with an awful early life - what made is different with these thieves?

The performances makes some clarity towards these questions. The actors on display are mostly unknown (with the exception of Emma Watson and Leslie Mann), and that helps the plot come to life. If any of the stars were established, we would be gasping in awe at how excellent they are at "becoming" these twisted people - having unknowns makes us focus less on the acting and more on the situation.

"The Bling Ring" is a excellent exploration into the magnetic true story that stunned us and still does. Coppola once again, proves why she is a director for the ages.