Monday, June 24, 2013

The Bling Ring

The story itself is the stuff that dreams are made of. A handful of seemingly over privileged, over drugged, curious teens break into celebrities’ Hollywood homes, stealing cash, guns, designer clothes – taking whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted it.

During their lengthy crime spree, the press cutely labeled the group the Bling Ring, and after their capture, Nancy Jo Sales wrote a controversial and searing exposé on the bunch for Vanity Fair, which serves as the basis for the film.

As the daughter of one of the most famous film directors of all time, Sofia Coppola knows a thing or two about the effects of celebrity on our youth. In her last (and, in my opinion, greatest) film, Somewhere, she beautifully chronicled the indifference that can accompany stardom. With The Bling Ring, she depicts the youthful and destructive fascination with “the life,” resulting in a uniquely chilling examination of American entitlement.
The film follows Rebecca (the cold and calculating Katie Chang) as she slowly assembles a group of friends to help her rob celebrities’ homes. The impressionable Marc (confident newcomer Israel Broussard) is first to fall victim to Rebecca’s charm, with L.A. wannabe “it” girls Nicki (Emma Watson), Chloe (a spirited Claire Julien, daughter of famed cinematographer Wally Pfister), and Sam (American Horror Story’s remarkable Taissa Farmiga) soon falling in.

Quick note of clarification: although Emma Watson’s part in this film has been highly publicized, her role as the materialistic Nicki is part of a great ensemble. In terms of screentime, Watson probably ranks fourth in line from the rest of the cast, which is more than enough time for her to redefine her talent as an actress. Watching Watson sit on a bed and casually freebase Oxycontin is something I never thought I’d see. But there’s a confidence to her work as Nicki, a notion of smoothly evolving her career, that I found immensely appealing.
As a group, the Bling Ring Google celebrities’ addresses, jump gates, enter homes, steal what they can, then flaunt their loot at hot shit L.A. clubs. They drink, they snort, they smoke. Pause. Sleep it off. Repeat. They do this without a care in the world, or a nagging thought of getting caught. Their thievery defines them, and their foolish arrogance brings them down.

In addition to Sales’ article, Sofia Coppola has taken inspiration from a number of various sources. The Bling Ring crimes attracted national media attention as they were happening – news reports and interviews with those suspected of the crimes were common. E!’s horrifying reality show, Pretty Wild, followed Alexis Neiers (who was the basis for Watson’s character in the film) as she battled her Bling Ring court case in real time. Entire scenes from Pretty Wild are depicted in Coppola’s film, and the director does a fine job crafting the absurd antics of Neiers and her family into dramatic storytelling.
But The Bling Ring isn’t perfect. At 90 minutes long, I was saddened that the film grew somewhat repetitive. After they broke into Paris Hilton’s mansion for the fourth time, for example, I simply got the point. Thankfully, Coppola knows how to keep the audience enthralled. In the film’s most breathtaking sequence, the Bling Ring rob Audrina Patridge’s lavish home in one extended master shot, with the camera placed far away, slowly pushing in on the theft. It’s the kind of patiently unique sequence that Coppola will be remembered by.

I’m a fan of Sofia Coppola’s work. Her detractors often accused her films of being self indulgent and aimless. If that’s your general understanding of her films, then The Bling Ring is not for you. But for those seeking something distinctive, bold, and deliberate, The Bling Ring will surely impress. It isn’t Coppola’s best film, but it may eventually be regarded as her most compulsively entertaining. And so it is. B+

Note: The Bling Ring is dedicated to its cinematographer, Harris Savides, who died last October from brain cancer. Savides was a master of low light and digital framing. The Bling Ring was the last film he lensed, and it is a perfect testament to his immense artistry. 

36 comments:

  1. I'm glad you liked this and relieved that I'm not alone in enjoying this film. I think it's her most accessible work since The Virgin Suicides.

    That shot you mentioned of the thieves stealing Audrina Partridge's home in that one entire take is definitely my favorite moment of the film. I'm eager to see what Sofia will do next as I'm already convinced that this film is part of a trilogy about Hollywood and celebrity culture.

    Kudos for mentioning Savides' work as he is another reason why I enjoyed this as I'm sad that he's gone but was able to at least give us one great piece of art before he left us.

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    1. I really did enjoy it. Dude, how awesome would it be if her next film was about Hollywood? I would love for that to happen.

      I knew you were a big admirer of Savides' work as well. So glad this film is as beautiful as it is. I'll remember that man's work forever.

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  2. It's a fine film about an annoying group of self indulgent kids that you would not want to know in real life. The style is very much a Sophia Coppola film. You said it well, if you like her films you'd be OK, if it is a style that puts you off, the movie is not for you.

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    1. Yep, exactly. I was actually surprised by how conservative the film was. Considering the shit that these kids got into (waaaaay more sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll than Coppola depicted), I thought she might push it a little farther. But still, I really dug it.

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  3. I watched this today as well, there were definitely some flaws, I feel Coppola tried letting the audience make their mind up on if they like the kids and she should have been more forceful with their presentation. I liked Marc's character a lot but they should have replaced one of the repetitive robbery scenes for some more character development. Israel Broussard and Katie Chang were brilliant and had a really nice chemistry.

    As you mentioned the robbery taken with a single shot was great, and I also loved the All of the Lights scene in the car, the editing was brilliant.

    The worst part was easily Emma Watson's character, I had no sympathy for her and I didn't like how she played her character, it seemed unsure if she was going for comedy, satire or a serious performance, whatever it was it didn't work and the film would have been better off with her character taking less screentime away from Marc and Rebecca because I felt that their friendship had some potential to advance the film.

    I think my favourite moment my have been montage of the police arriving at the kids house, when Marc immediately exits his room and hugs his mom and apologizes was a surprisingly moving moment which went against the tone of the film, but it worked.

    The main thing that was lacking was a character like Dorff or Murray in Somewhere and LiT, and had Marc been developed more I think he could have been trusted with carrying the film more.

    I still really liked it, but when it comes to Sofia Coppola and this story I just had such high expectations. Definitely preferred Spring Breakers.

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    1. We seem to be in full agreement here, with the exception of our views on Watson's performance. I thought she played the role of a confused, over drugged, materialistic L.A. girl exceptionally. But to each his own. (But also, I knew about Alexis Neiers before I saw this film. Watson is her.)

      Anyway, I definitely had high expectations for this film as well, and although they weren't fully met, I enjoyed it all the same.

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    2. Yeah I checked out who Alexis was and it seems Watson was pretty spot on. I just felt that the character was pretty out of place in the film and distracted from the friendship at the centre of the film. And her interview scene at the end kind of cheapened the ending since I was feeling sympathy for Marc's circumstances. Also I loved Leslie Mann in this film, she was perfect.

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    3. I will agree that I didn't feel the ending worked. Cheap is a good word for it.

      Oh and in my original comment, I forgot to mention how much I like that moment when Marc hugged his mom as well. Very unexpected and it worked perfectly.

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    4. I was just so taken aback by it and it showed that there was potential for his character to have the same impact on me as Bill Murray and Stephen Dorff's did, maybe there will be a director's cut (although I doubt it). I'm definitely looking forward to what the two leads do in the future.

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    5. Yeah, I doubt she puts out a director's cut. But I'm really pumped for those actors as well. They nailed it.

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  4. When you say scenes from Pretty Wild are re-enacted, it makes me hope that Emma Watson's character has Bebe shoes on at her first court appearance. When I first saw the trailer for this, I thought it was atrocious, then I reminisced about Pretty Wild for a bit, now I'm excited to see it.

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    1. Ha, I think Coppola purposefully stayed away from that silly shoes-in-the-courtroom argument. But yeah, literally entire sequences, word for word, were lifted from Pretty Wild. Which is, you know... pretty wild.

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  5. Great write up Alex. Been quietly keeping an eye on this one and I'm glad it's by no means a write off or anything. Think I'll be checking this out when it hits over here.

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    1. Thanks man! Hope it makes it your way soon. I actually really want to see it again. I think I may like it better a second time.

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  6. Thanks for this great review, Alex! I loved "Somewhere" so hopefully I'll like this one too. Your descriptions are very helpful.

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    1. Thanks Jules! I think you'll enjoy this one. It's really very smart and gorgeous looking.

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  7. As someone who's only experience with Sofia has been through Lost In Translation (a film I found grossly overrated besides Bill Murray's performance) I found this film engrossing but ultimately annoying. In this sort of "style" of film, I think Harmony Korine's Spring Breakers was a much more interesting and exciting movie while this just started to irritate me (beyond some good, but extremely annoying performances). Whereas in Spring Breakers I was enthralled and fully engaged with it's characters despite how stupid and single-minded most of them were, in this film I found myself increasingly annoyed with the same traits. It seems as though there's a fine line that Korine was able to walk with his characters being annoying but interesting, whereas Sofia's just fell onto the annoying for me. I didn't hate the movie, Savides' cinematography was excellent and I thought the performances from the leads were, as I stated, annoying but well done (and god Emma Watson... has she ever looked better?!). But the film itself just didn't do it for me.

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    1. Hey man, fair enough. While I LOVED Spring Breakers (far more than The Bling Ring) there are plenty of people who share your sentiments about The Bling Ring toward Spring Breakers, you know? I actually wasn't annoyed by an of The Bling Ring, only its mild repetitiveness. Also, after researching the real people, I am curious as to why Sofia didn't push their antics even more. But oh well.

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  8. I didn't mind the repetitiveness of the break-ins. I thought they assumed this really droll kind of humor the further along they went and underscored not necessarily how much they thought they were above the law but how much they didn't really think about the law - or anything - at all.

    Of course, I always feel as if I should preface every comment I make about a Coppola movie by saying I'm a fervent Sofia fanboy, but the whole film really, really worked for me.

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    1. Yeah I really enjoyed your review, definitely my favorite that I've read. I'm a Sofia fanatic as well, and her films always grow on me. I'm sure I'll appreciate this movie more after subsequent viewings. The power of Coppola.

      What's your favorite Sofia film?

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    2. My favorite is probably Lost In Translation. That's my go-to movie when I'm sick or when I'm disconnected. Really special place in my heart for it.

      But as for her best....I'd have to side with you. I think Somewhere is her greatest achievement so far. That is bold filmmaking.

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    3. Nice. It'll always be Somewhere for me. I couldn't move the first time I watched that movie. I knew I was viewing something completely unlike anything I'd ever seen. It works for me in every way.

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  9. For me, it was a smart and inspired idea for "Sophia" Coppola to take where she doesn't judge them, or the actions that they committed, but more or less, made the story speak for itself. However, a little of that went a long way and I found myself more and more annoyed and bored with these characters, than I was any near being compelled. The style is great and I'm glad you mentioned, especially the tragic passing of Savides, but it felt like it was wasted on material that could have been used so much better. Nice review bud.

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    1. Thanks man. I agree with you in part. I did think it went a little long, though I was never bored by the characters. But ask me a year from now and I'm sure I'll think the movie is absolutely brilliant.

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  10. Very well written, Alex! As we discussed on my review for this, there was just something lacking in this that I wish Coppola had included. You're right to critique the repetition...the Audrina Patridge break-in was probably the best shot of the movie. Breaking into Hilton's lost it's shine after the second time. I think one of my favorite acting sequences was when the cops showed up at each Bling Ringers house...you got a sense of each character there outside of their identical robbing scenes. Marc's reaction was the most genuine and sympathetic...Chloe's was hilarious...her scene was unbelievable in the amount of panic she portrayed! I think I'll have to see this one again to catch what I may have missed.

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    1. Thanks! I really want to see this again as well. I loved Marc's reaction when the cops came. It felt so real in a time when the movie really needed a harsh dose of reality. All the kids in this movie were amazing.

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  11. Oh, I love that master shot as well. It's easily my favorite in the film. I agree that the film felt a little repetitive, but I'd still give it an A-.

    It's great to see another fan of Somewhere, which I'd rank just behind Lost in Translation as Coppola's best.

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    1. I bet when I see this again, I'll end up giving it an A-. It really has grown on me in the week since I first saw it.

      Somewhere will always be my favorite. I love the hell out of that film.

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  12. I probably won't love it, I'm completely not interested in fashion or celebrity lifesyle and shit like that, but I'm hoping Watson and Farmiga are good, they are both very talented and I hope they will have great careers.

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    1. They both are definitely good, but do not nearly have as much screentime as the marketing material suggests. Still, they kill it with the time they do have.

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  13. Great review, man. I completely agree about the repetition of the break-ins, but Coppola really nailed that party lifestyle, didn't she? Loved the eclectic soundtrack, too.

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    1. Thanks dude. She NAILED the lifestyle, completely. And you know, when I see it again, I suspect I won't really mind the repetition. That was a very minor qualm on my part.

      Soundtrack definitely rocked.

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  14. I haven't read much about this, surprisingly, however I'm probably the millionth person to think "Sofia Coppola's Spring Breakers" whenever I do read a review. Great stuff Alex, need to see this one.

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    1. Thanks man. I see where the Spring Breakers comparison comes from, but once you've seen the film, you'll understand that the two really have nothing in common, except that they are American films released in 2013. At least that's how I felt. Loved 'em both.

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  15. I'm not sure that this film achieves anything more than feeding the vapid culture that it portrays. I loved aspects (i reviewed and gave it 3/5), but it felt very repetitive and empty. Does this mean the film hit the nail on the head? I'm not convinced.
    Great review Alex.

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    1. Thanks Sam!

      You know, I actually agree with your reasoning behind the film, and the more I think about it, the more I think it DID hit the nail on a head. But who knows.

      A real thinker, this one.

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