Okay, trying to review this movie is so complicated. Let's start with Sofia Coppola, I'm torn by her movie directing skills. If you are unaware of her movies she has done films such as
Lost in Translation and
The Virgin Suicides. Now, I chose to say those two specifically because they are on the exact opposite spectrum from each other when it comes to movies I enjoy. I could not stand
Lost in Translation, where on the other hand I love
Virgin Suicides. So, going into
The Bling Ring, I was unsure what to expect.
My initial want to see this film was triggered not by the true story it's based on but instead by the fact that I find Emma Watson to be very talented. Going into the film I knew little to nothing about the background story, but in the opening scene of the movie I quickly realized this family seemed familiar. And they are, if you have seen
Pretty Wild, a reality show about a mom and her three daughters that aired on the E! network you will quickly realize this is that family. If you haven't seen the show and you are a subscriber to Netflix, I encourage you to check it out. If you can't make it through the show, you may not be able to make it through the movie.
I am not sure what Coppola's goal was with this film, if her goal is to make you infuriated with the characters portraying the real life individuals, she has succeeded in my case. The actors did, from what I can grasp from doing research, a great job of portraying the real individuals (although they don't really look like them). An article that I found incredibly interesting after seeing the movie was the following:
http://www.papermag.com/2013/06/nancy_jo_sales_the_bling_ring.php
That article is by Abby Schreiber and she did a good amount of research on the story.
Now, the question I am getting most frequently is "was it good"? Which is where the complications come in. The story itself is so frustrating. It's teenagers who are obsessed with fame and fortune and as a result go on a robbing spree to get things from celebrities. As someone who is not from California but has lived here for the past (almost) 8 years, I have noticed that a lot of teenagers dress, talk and behave the way the teens do in this film. Now, that in itself was excruciating to watch because it frustrates me how young girls, in particular, respect themselves and think it's acceptable to behave stupid because it will somehow make them more popular. As a society, I think we are letting down our youth by allowing them to behave the way they do and this film just helps to justify my opinions.
Now the good, Coppola has a way with making movies that is so unique compared to other directors out there. She did a good job of sticking to true story (from what I've read) and not having to "up the ante" in order to sell her film. The actors did a good job and Emma Watson has down the annoying American teen girl accent. All in all, even through irritation, it was a good movie. If nothing else, I hope it makes a lot of parents pay more attention to what their children are doing.
Would I see this movie in theaters again? No. My suggestion is to wait until it comes out and rent it. The music in this film deserves a mention as well, because it was amazing.
