We all like a bit of bling of some sort, don’t we? Some of us even enjoy going out for lengthy shopping trips to get the best deals and bargains. And for most of us, we work hard to be able to afford those luxuries that we want. Well, that is unless you are a group of celebrity obsessed teenagers in California who just break into their favourite celebrity home and help themselves to their things. This group of teenagers became known as The Bling Ring.
The Bling Ring is based on true events about a group of celebrity obsessed, internet savvy teenagers who went on a $3 million crime spree between 2008 and 2009. They used the internet to essentially stalk their favourite celebrities to find out when they wouldn’t be home, get their addresses and then rob them. Social media and online maps were their tools of the trade. They robbed the houses of famous Hollywood celebrities such as Paris Hilton (who they repeatedly kept going back to rob), Lindsay Lohan, Rachel Bilson, Orlando Bloom and others.
The Bling Ring is a crime drama directed by Sofia Coppola and stars Emma Watson, Katie Chang, Taissa Farmiga, Israel Broussard, Claire Julien and Leslie Mann. It has a 12 certificate and a running time of 86 minutes.
The opening line of the film is “Let’s go shopping” and that’s exactly what these teenagers did, in the houses of the favourite high-profile celebrities.
When Marc (Israel Broussard), a shy and quiet middle-class boy, is kicked out of school for being absent too many times, his family move to In Calabasas, California and enrols in a school for wayward kids. He strikes up a friendship with Rebecca (Katie Chang) and they become the best of friends as they both have a love of fashion and celebrities. One night they leave a party and start checking cars for any doors left open so they can steal cash, wallets, drugs and anything else of value left in the car. When Rebecca asks him if he knows of anyone who is out of town he mentions that a wealthy acquaintance is in Jamaica and she persuades him to go with her and break into the empty house. This nets them thousands in cash and a handbag similar to that of one Lindsay Lohan has and car keys to a Porsche which they leave the scene in. An easy job that sees them embark on a luxury spending spree. Hanging out in clubs frequented by celebrities, they spot Paris Hilton which leads them to researching her on the internet, finding out when she will be away from home hosting a party and get her address. Finding a spare key under the mat, they enter her home and steal money, clothes and jewellery (in small amounts so it is not missed).
Once the realise how easy it is was to stalk their favourite celebrities and know when they won’t be home, they soon invite others to their group going back to Paris Hilton’s house on numerous occasions, treating it like a club house and stealing small items (they entered her house at least 5 times). They would post pictures online on their social media accounts, showing themselves with the stolen items, stealing around $3 million worth of goods from their various home burglaries. These robberies funded their partying and drugs and made them famous as “The Bling Ring”.
Overall, The Bling Ring is a very good film based on the true events, a commentary on the allure of the celebrity lifestyle and the lengths to which people will go to attain it. It shows just how easy it was to stalk celebrities online, know their movements and find out their addresses. This group of teenagers did it with ease, allowing them to steal millions of dollars worth of clothes, jewellery, cash and cars before eventually getting caught (through the police being tipped off). And not because they needed the money, just because they wanted to emulate their favourite celebrities and have what they had. They would see in magazines and online what kind of “bling” each celebrity would have and then deciding which one to rob.
It is an interesting look at a celebrity-obsessed world, holding up a mirror up to a society that idolises wealth and fame. A movie that combines drama, crime, and social commentary.
Emma Watson has a very good performance as Nicki, and Paris Hilton (who has a cameo appearance) even let them film the movie in her house where some of the burglaries took place.
A good film based on true events about chasing a celebrity lifestyle that is worth seeing.
Rating: 4/5
Available to buy from Amazon here.