The Bling Ring is a movie that is to “edgy and cool” for its own good. The movie centers itself on a group of upper middle class/lower upper class friends; they aspire in life to be like the stars. The movie is based on a true story and I have no idea the amount of truth to fiction ratio and it scares me how high the number maybe. The biggest issue that I have with the film is why was it made?
Our gang of friends decide the best way to be like celebrities such as Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Eminem and countless others is by breaking into their homes when they’re away. They soon discover it is incredibly easy to do. The group reasons that the celebrities have so much they will not discover it’s missing, and wouldn’t miss it. Over the course of the movie, the group builds up quite a large collection of stolen loot. You could easily argue that the group gains so much stuff, much of it they could never use or wear due to how it was obtained, that some other group could come and rip them off and they would never notice. I assume that is the point that Director Sophia Coppolla is trying to make. I say assume because I never get that this movie has a moral, I gain very little entertainment value from a movie about ripping off people starring in movies, maybe a small ha-ha.
Then we have the issue of who is this movie trying to attract? Really, what is the demographic? Are we trying to lure in teens and teach them that there are virtually no consequences to theft that if we don’t make the sadly obvious mistakes of the group in the movie its ok? Even when the movie is Rated R? Never in the film is there remorse or regret aside from that of being caught. I cannot see the movie being aimed at anyone older than 40 because aside from extras only three or four characters with speaking parts are older than 40, even the actors they rob.
Now this is a movie and again meant to entertain. Is it meant to be some epic biopic of the times? It’s based on True Events, it’s casting all unknowns, and it’s using news footage. Slapping True Events on a film these days gives it very little credibility, The Bling Ring mixes that with archive news footage of the real reactions from the celebrities (never actually acting for this movie) and then casts all virtual unknowns. The Bling Ring is cast very oddly; Leslie Mann, Gavin Rossdale, and Emma Watson are the only actors with name recognition. Everyone else is unknown. That’s usually done for only a few reasons and one of those is to help create “breakout stars” and that must have been the intent hear as it was released during the peak of film season in June. The Bling Ring is trying to make itself a big deal.
Now you’re probably sitting there saying well you are being a little harsh. I have seen Films like Zodiac, Aliens, and Young Guns (going for the randomness win). Well yeah, you have but those movies all have redeemable qualities. Zodiac is a tale of suspense and caution. Aliens warn of messing with what you do not understand. Young Guns, the closest to our film (it has based on true events centered on a young up and coming cast) still gives us a moral. At the end of The Bling Ring the biggest thing you learn is wow they were stupid, they posted all their crimes on Facebook. The movie just does for them exactly what they set out to do in the first place and that’s to be famous.