"The Bling Ring" Review

Just when you thought it was safe to unlock your doors...

The Bling Ring is the latest feature from writer/director Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation). It tells the true story of a group of fame-obsessed teenagers who use the internet to track the whereabouts of different celebrities in an effort to rob their homes.

There's little more to the story than that. The Bling Ring is meant to serve as a cautionary tale that reveals the trouble with our culture's obsession with luxury. It's true that no amount of money, pearls, Louboutin shoes, Rolex watches or stolen Porches can buy happiness, and the kids learn this lesson the hard way. It's just a shame nobody bothered to teach them this lesson in the first place.

There's no sense of purpose to the action. I never grasped any sense of remorse until it was too late for the characters, and even then, the tears felt like an act. I didn't fully understand WHY they were robbing Paris Hilton and Orlando Bloom. Was it some sort of Robin Hood complex? Steal from the rich to make their own lives richer? Coppola never delves deep enough into the psychology behind what's onscreen, and in turn everything comes off as superficial. Her screenplay robs these characters of any real depth. In the end, I felt nothing for these kids as they earned their comeuppance.

But I'll be damned if they don't look good doing it. Israel Broussard (The Chaperone), Katie Chang (A Birder's Guide to Everything), Emma Watson (Harry Potter 1-7), Claire Julien (daughter of Dark Knight cinematographer Wally Pfister) and Taissa Farmiga (TV's American Horror Story) certainly kept my attention for the brisk 90-minute run time. They're not just beautiful people; they're capable actors as well. That is, until late in the film when I was ready to just strangle somebody.

My favorite actress of the film, Watson, also played my least favorite character, Nicki. She would've been fine, and I couldn't keep my jaw wired shut while oogling at how gorgeous she was. But the ending ruins her entire character. Maybe that's the point, but I just couldn't help hating Nicki once the credits rolled. If you see the movie, you'll understand why.

I'd say the best thing The Bling Ring has going for it is the cinematography from Chris Blauvelt (Zodiac) and the late Harris Savides (American Gangster). The film is impeccably shot, with my favorite sequence being the single-take robbery of Audrina Patridge's home. The walls are essentially all glass, allowing the cinematographers to get a single, wide-angle shot of the entire exterior of the house while still capturing all the activity going on inside. Watching the actors scurry about the house from this perspective makes them look like mice in a maze, trying to grab whatever elusive pieces of cheese they can find before the authorities arrive. It's a very clever way to break away from the editing frenzy of the rest of the film.

Sofia Coppola's The Bling Ring is a cautionary tale about our fame-obsessed culture. That purpose is clear, but the execution is sloppy. Capable acting performances from gorgeous leads and stellar cinematography aren't enough to cure the characters of their idiocy or contribute any sense of depth to the story. If Coppola had explored more of the psychology behind these luxury-obsessed teenagers rather than tell a straightforward account of the crimes they committed, the movie would've been much more engrossing.

5/10*

(*doubled for Emma Watson)