The Bling Ring

There are reasons that some movies have limited distribution. Even though The Bling Ring has a highly marketable actress like Emma Watson in it, this is one such movie that doesn’t need to be played in every Cineplex from coast to coast. The film follows the mostly true story of a group of LA teenagers who burglarize celebrity homes. Watson plays one of the teens, but her role is only a supporting one. Relative newcomers, Katie Chang and Israel Broussard play the ringleaders of the group and carry the screen time in the film, which is directed by Sophia Coppola.

The concept is an interesting one with lots of potential. Speaking about the dangers of young people having an obsession with fame and celebrities, the story is hard to believe. But sure enough it actually happened. After the group establishes their routine of breaking and entering, the film becomes redundant and predictable. Brand names are dropped that mean nothing to most viewers, me included. But as we follow the characters around, the question becomes when will we see the resolution? Do they get caught? For that, we get a brief description of what each is charged with and their respective verdicts. The courtroom is completely skipped over. And let’s be honest, there isn’t so much going on that crucial moments need to be summarized.

Chang gives the most effective performance in the film as the mastermind behind the crimes. Her Mean Girls persona sets the tone for the other characters. Watson’s valley-girl meets England hybrid accent still isn’t at the level one would expect from such an actress though. In fact dialect seems to be the Harry Potter star’s biggest weakness at this point. When you’ve had a British accent in eight films that everyone has seen multiple times, your American voice better be convincing. The Bling Ring moves very slowly. Viewers will have a lot less fun watching than the characters do while stealing. But it has its moments.

Each film earns either zero, a half or a full arrow in five categories. The categories are Acting, Writing/Directing, Emotion, Innovation and Overall Impression. The arrows are added up to equal the full score.