I keep going back to this movie with mixed to positive feelings coming out. I like the style of it revolving around the supposed Vanity Fair piece and the interviews of the culprits. The name changing was probably for legal reasons. But what I appreciated was the choosing of lesser known actors for some of the culprits' roles. And while Leslie Mann wasn't a no-name at the time of the filming, I didn't feel like her inclusion jarred me as much as the roles played by Emma Watson and Gavin Rossdale, the latter's acting being so profoundly poor by comparison to the kids around him that his familiarity isn't the biggest issue I have. But I won't go into that. I don't really understand why he was cast in the first place.
On the whole it's a pretty good film, it's constructed well as a timeline of events, beginning with a "how did they get here?" montage that doesn't feel hackneyed and ending with the publicity fallout and legal strife the Ring fell into. I particularly like Katie Chang's narcissistic Rebecca playing the ringleader role, she does falter a little to begin with but shines towards the end when the true attention seeking reasons for her crimes become apparent, along with her selfish compulsive lying. Israel Broussad was also a relative unknown who suited the notion of Marc being a shy gay boy who is seduced by Rebecca's magnetic and crazy personality while glossing over the real life counterpart's drug history and vague involvement in movies. Claire Julien and Tarissa Farmiga were probably the most convincing in their roles of bored ring members who are as callous and unconcerned as Rebecca but are happy to tag along on the sprees as a response to their ennui and dissatisfaction with their already rebellious lifestyles.
But it's Emma Watson's role of film drawcard as Nicki Moore, the famewhore of the group whose real life counterpart used the scandal for personal gain. Her rather desperate attempt to be convincing at a Valley Girl off the back of her PotterFame doesn't quite make it there for me. She sticks out like a sore thumb, and I imagine the weave was meant to look trashy, but it turned her character into the most try-hard among the ensemble. If she was going for intolerable, she nailed it. She doesn't seek to gain audience sympathy, she's probably as bad as Rebecca, but she dominates the second half of the film when the narrative centres around Marc as our entry point into the conception of the Bling Ring. Watson doesn't sell it for me, she almost gets there a few times, yet her next scene blows that up and I'm back to being frustrated with her. I don't find her to be a terribly good actress in all honesty. She can pull of the spoiled brat who convinces everyone around her somehow she's the victim in that she "attracted" these people into her life and has a lesson to learn from this, her disingenuous bullshit is definitely hard to swallow. Just her performance keeps falling short.
The "stars" of the film are the victims, but when you realise they were all living in the hills with open doors and easy access to their shit, you can't feel sorry for them. Paris Hilton really tried to milk sympathy, and look gracious by allowing Coppola to film in her mansion for the sake of authenticity and to have five minutes on screen in one of the club scenes. I felt a twinge for her when she stated the Ring stole something of her grandmother's which was irreplaceable, but the fact remains she has an excess of shit and was stupid enough to allow these repeated robberies to occur. The film doesn't present us with anything close to an opposing or even positive viewpoint of Hilton. You come out feeling little to no sympathy for her or the other victims because they're filthy rich and can afford to replace all their shit even without the insurance that shouldn't have paid out for them having easy access to their shit in the first place. There are "civilians" being robbed initially, but again it's people with big houses and unlocked doors and cars. You're not encouraged to like any of the characters or real life celebrities, besides Marc, who's essentially betrayed by Rebecca and is the softest and kindest member of the Ring who was just looking for social acceptance.
It's a beautifully presented film about excess and irresponsibility that you can use as a vicarious window into each robbery. It's a ride you're on until shit gets uncomfortable. But the moments of poignancy, like when Marc asks Rebecca if she'd ever rob him, aren't conveyed well enough to be thought provoking. The car crashes are convincing and the tension mounts in the right places, but it's an imperfect piece probably not up to Coppola's standards. Definitely check it out though.
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