The notion of powerful Hollywood family dynasties and “nepo babies” is more controversial now than it has ever been before. Still, Sofia Coppola has proved time and time again that she is a talented storyteller in her own right, despite whatever advantages came from being the daughter of Francis Ford Coppola. After breaking out big with her debut feature, The Virgin Suicides, Coppola won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Lost in Translation, a beautiful twist on the “first encounter” premise that has continued to inspire debates over its ambiguous ending two decades later. Although her films continued to receive acclaim for their transporting visual style and rich characterization, The Bling Ring was seen as the first misfire of Coppola’s career when it made its debut in the summer of 2013.
The Bling Ring was certainly not the first time that Coppola made a bold choice with her aesthetics. Marie Antoinette had elicited mixed responses for its use of modern music within a period setting, and the laborious “hangout” format of Somewhere may have irritated viewers expecting a more straightforward narrative about a father and daughter reconnecting. That being said, the notion that a filmmaker as committed to exploring intellectualism as Coppola was would be making a film about ignorant, privileged teenagers seemed to be a complete waste of her inherent talents. However, this is exactly why The Bling Ring is such a work of genius. Coppola was able to immerse her audience in the trivial desires of the millennial generation by showing how “it's fun to be really obnoxious.”
What Is ‘The Bling Ring’ About?
Loosely based on a true story, The Bling Ring centers on a group of teenagers living in Los Angeles who break into the homes of various celebrities in order to try on their clothes and appropriate their lifestyles. Marc Hall (Israel Broussard), Rebecca Ahn (Katie Chang), Nicki Moore (Emma Watson), Sam Moore (Taissa Farmiga), and Chloe Tainer (Claire Julien) are part of a generation that has grown up watching TMZ and reading People magazine as if it is a sacred text. They idolize celebrities and are desperate to gain any personal connection with these seemingly larger-than-life figures that they can. After discovering a car that looks similar to Lindsay Lohan’s (recognizing it from gossip magazines), the teens begin breaking into the homes of various celebrities, including Paris Hilton,
Coppola created a unique coming-of-age story in which the audience is not supposed to empathize with the characters. There’s nothing charismatic about any of the leads because they have no identities of their own; all they know is what has been fed to them on television and through gossip publications. What’s most critical about their obsession with celebrity is that they really don’t know anything about their idols as people, as their perception is based solely on what they've seen in the media. Coppola crafts a unique study on the damaging effects that idolizing celebrities has had on a generation; if these are the role models that young people are aspiring to be like, who is to blame for the fact that they have a serious case of arrested development?
‘The Bling Ring’ Is a Product of Its Time
Although films like Lost in Translation and Marie Antoinette were praised for their gorgeous visuals, The Bling Ring uses off-putting imagery reminiscent of Instagram filters that reveal how shallow the characters’ desires are. Nicki and her friends are attempting to wear the clothing of those who they admire because they feel it might turn them into stars in their own right, but it feels a whole lot less exciting when there aren’t cameras turned on them. Coppola creates a MacGuffin that is ultimately unattainable, as the teenagers don’t seem to understand that fame is a fleeting concept that they will not be able to attain. This is emphasized by the fact that Coppola utilized primarily unknown actors as her set of leads; outside of Watson in one of her best non-Harry Potter roles, the cast is populated by up-and-coming stars who the audience doesn’t have a firm relationship with. Ironically, both Farmiga and Broussard ended up being much more established in the immediate aftermath as a direct result of their breakout roles in The Bling Ring.
The Bling Ring is a twist on the heist thriller that puts both the media and audience on trial for finding any enjoyment in what is ultimately a very sad and pathetic tale. The film notes that while Nicki and her friends really need therapy to help cope with their serious mental health issues, they ironically become minor celebrities in their own right as a result of the headlines generated by their string of crimes. Yet, it’s also a more complex issue than simply stating that “the media is bad.” Stories like this are inherently ones that spark the curiosity of casual viewers, and journalists can’t entirely be faulted for following this wild story. The fact that this scandal ended up becoming a sensation on its own (and inspired a film by one of the industry’s greatest living filmmakers) is a subject worthy of debate.
‘The Bling Ring’ Isn’t Like Other A24 Coming-Of-Age Movies
The Bling Ring shows that not all A24 coming-of-age films are the same, and the studio is able to show the diversity of the adolescent experience by examining different perspectives. The films selected as part of the summer’s “Teenage Dream” series couldn’t be more different; Mid90s is a gritty take on the dark side of childhood nostalgia, Talk To Me is an absorbing horror tale about teenage incoherence, and Eighth Grade is a masterwork of suspense focused on awkward moments going into high school. The Bling Ring doesn’t paint a pretty picture of 21st-century teenagers, but it may be the most timely and accurate project of Coppola’s career.
The Bling Ring is back on August 21 for a one-day run.
