THE BLING RING
US, 2013, 90 minutes, Colour.
Kate Chang, Israel Broussard, Emma Watson, Taissa Farmiga, Leslie Ash.
Directed by Sofia Coppola.
Unless you are young and have a certain empathy with these Californian teenagers, while enjoying (perhaps) but questioning their shenanigans, or have a passion for the soundtracks of the movies, you might find it hard to sit through this, comparatively brief but seemingly long, odd story which is based on actual events.
Some years ago, Larry Clarke upset many audiences with his Kids (1995), a picture of teenagers behaving badly in New York City, middle-class many of them. But, many audiences asked, ‘where are the parents?’ and ‘don’t they know what their kids are doing, how they think and feel?’. In The Bling Ring, there are some scenes with parents but they are quite ignorant of what their children are doing, or they are caricatures of New Age parents who are eternal optimists with their faith and fads. Not a pretty picture!
Actually, there is a great deal of prettiness about it, because what the kids are doing is googling information about young and wealthy LA celebrities, finding their homes and addresses, and when they are away from home for filming or promotion or parties, invading. They go to the houses (which always seem to have one unlocked door) and help themselves to what they want. The only boy in the group, Marc, usually exclaims ‘wow’ or has four-letter frets about ‘getting out of here’. The four girls, especially in one sequence, limit their articulate response to exclamations to repetitions of ‘O my God’ as they pick up each dress, shoe or handbags. Actually, they usually let each other know what the brand name is. They are not particularly interesting characters and will irritate those who are anti-US-teenagers, specifically anti-California. Audiences will find their characters, talk and behaviour exasperating.
Early, we do see that they police arrest them and witness some comments, mostly self-serving, which are intercut through the home invasions. But, here is a picture (ultimately critical of them and their self-centred attitudes) of self-indulgent, extravagantly-narcissistic, affluent, celebrity-wannabes.
Actually, the young cast impersonates their characters with some skill. Kate Chang is Rebecca, the instigator who draws Marc into her clutches. Israel Broussard looks a bit too ordinary, even nerdish, to turn into the drug-indulgent follower that he does. Marc is the only one who expresses some kind of regret. It is Emma Watson, not the ringleader but an over-assured and ambitious girl who even keeps shushing her indulgent mother (Leslie Mann) reminding her that the Vanity Fair’s interview is with her. And, advising as she looks straight to camera at the end, that we can follow her exploits on her Facebook page!
Sofia Coppola grew up around these places and young people like this so we presume she knows what she is talking and film-making about.
1. Based on a true story? California? Hollywood and celebrities?
2. The title, the group of teenagers, their activities, targeting celebrities, stealing their possessions? A way of identifying with the celebrities?
3. The Los Angeles setting, the suburbs, the opening with the streets, the homes? High school? The beaches? The homes of the celebrities, exteriors? Interiors? The
rooms, the closets, the clothes, shoes, pants, jewellery? Makeup?
4. The musical score, the contemporary music, sometimes strident, popular songs? The music of these teenagers?
5. The behaviour, deliberate, calculated? Audiences understanding the motivations? The teenagers understand it themselves? The parents and not understanding? The role of the police and prosecution? The Vanity Fair interviews, Nicky’s response, Marc’s response?
6. The film indicating from the beginning that the group had been arrested? The interview clips? The impression? Nicky and her vanity, heading a charity, perhaps rule a country?
7. The world of the celebrities, by name, photos, Paris Hilton’s house and her personal appearance? Newspapers and photos? Name-dropping?
8. The focus on Marc, the mirror and dressing, something of a nerd? Moving from different schools? The girl shoving him? His locker? In class? The encounter with Rebecca, her helping him, attraction, after school? His relationship with his parents? A seemingly normal boy? The computer, getting the information for Rebecca? His joining in the raids? His hesitation, her leadership? Meeting up with Nicky and Sam, with Chloe? The formation of the group? His role in getting the information, addresses? His wariness during the intrusions? His becoming more deeply involved, dressing up, stealing things and having that home, on the bed with the glamour shoes? The increased drug taking?
9. Rebecca, her background, initiatives, the bond with Marc, going to the houses, observing, stealing, curious, envious? In class? At the beach? The drug taking? The friendship with Chloe? The other girls joining?
10. Nicky and Sam at home, Sam adopted, sharing the room, the bonding? The mother, Californian New Age type, prayer and the enthusiasm, the home schooling and that twee nature of the classes? Her not knowing anything about what her daughters were doing? Meals, at home, the girls going out? Auditions, ambitions? Taking the young girl on one of the raids? Nicky and her not being in charge but her tendency to take over? The names and brands, stealing?
11. The contacts, selling the goods, taking the money, the deals? $5000?
12. The addiction to going to the homes, the more celebrities, the amount of goods stolen? Three million dollars?
13. The self-centred focus of each of the characters? Greedy, snobbish? No moral values?
14. The surveillance footage, their being identified, the newspaper reports?
15. The arrests, going to each of the homes, the bewildered parents, the reaction of the teenagers? Rebecca and her being in Las Vegas, reporting Marc, her being taken in?
16. The self-justification of each of the teenagers? Marc and his admission of guilt, saying he was sorry, in prison garb, taken to prison?
17. The sentences for each of the teenagers, no evidence against Sam? Nicky and prison and her reaction, the short sentence?
18. Her becoming a celebrity, the Vanity Fair issue, telling her mother to be quiet, her self-promotion, looking into the camera and inviting people to go to her website?
19. Audiences identifying with the teenagers and their behaviour? The film’s critique of them? Moral judgment?
