The Bling Ring
Inspired by actual events, a group of semi-privileged high school friends, Rebecca (Katie Chang), Marc (Israel Broussard), Nicki (Emma Watson), Chloe (Claire Julien) and Sam (Taissa Farmiga), follow up on their obsessions with Hollywood’s young elite by breaking into the homes of socialites such as Paris Hilton, Orlando Bloom, and Ashley Tisdale. More than just simple break-in’s the group’s hunger turns to theft, but the long arm of the law isn’t far behind. Obsessed and self absorbed, this can’t end well.
Directed by Sofia Coppola this bleak outlook on the youth of today serves as an unsettling mirror to depict the “me first” generation, unaware of their own impact, denying responsibility, yet striving for instant fame and gratification; the message is loud and clear. But, buyer beware, the relatively thin storyline contained within hardly seems enough to fill the 90 minute runtime, almost from the get go one wonders “when will the other shoe fall?” Acting from the ensemble feels moody and angsty, just like a brooding teenager should be, so there’s that. Coppola’s fetish for pop culture also feels mated nicely with this latest endeavor. Sum of the parts, a rough watch; but, if you’re hankering for character study this might just be your ticket. The Bling Ring is rated R.