Review of The Bling Ring (2013) by Nick Y — 02 Sep 2013

Though I enjoy almost every genre of movie, realist, well-written atmospherics films like those of Sofia Coppola are often my favorites. The Bling Ring is her most recent project, and it incorporates elements that are central to most of her films: fame, money, beauty, and a quiet, numbing, morbid urge that evolves in the minds of young, clever teenagers as a result of valuing those concepts too highly.

Harry Potter star Emma Watson is the biggest name on the list here, and probably gives the best performance, but newcomers Katie Chang, Israel Broussard, Claire Julien, and lesser-known actress Taissa Farmiga are also essential to the story and mood. Their characters are based on the real-life examples of a Hollywood Hills childhood gone wrong, Nick Prugo, Rachel Lee, and Alexis Neiers, to name a few. They are the alleged members of the real Bling Ring, a group of obsessive teenagers who broke into several celebrities' houses in 2008 and 2009 so they could steal their clothes.

Sofia Coppola communicates this disturbing story of these kids with the perfect atmosphere that she always achieves in her films. These budding adults have ideals of appearance and fame rather than kindness and intelligence. Coppola understands the "rich girl" feeling and, whether you like her style or not, it's undeniable that she tells a crazy, shocking tale of modern America that is immensely interesting to watch.