Emma Watson leads a relatively unknown cast in The Bling Ring, Sophia Coppola’s new film based on the real life escapades of the “Hollywood Hills Burglars.” In 2008 and 2009 a group of teenagers raided the home of several celebrities making off with as much as $3 million in cash and booty before they were nabbed, most of it from Paris Hilton, whose house was burglarized several times. The best account of the burglaries is by Nancy Jo Sales in Vanity Fair, who called the crime spree “completely unprecedented in the history of Hollywood.” The heists have been fodder for hundreds of lurid cover stories for many months. Here’s the questionable segue Maxim chose.
Time was, the Manson family haunted these hills, striking fear into the hearts of the rich and photogenic. Forty years later, Hollywood was once again being simultaneously terrorized and captivated. But the culprits this time were just a knuckleheaded crew of errant teenagers enraptured by the glitz and glamour of Hollywood’s cult of celebrity. They would pick out the jewelry and designer clothes from the pages of fashion magazines, target the celebrities who had what they wanted, and then track their locations and movements using online sites like TMZ and celebrityaddressaerial.com (a kind of map to the stars’ homes using helicopter photography). From there it was easy: Hop a fence, open a window, and rummage through enough closets until they found what they were looking for. Call it the Home Invasion Shopping Network.
In one short year of operation, from October 2008 to their arrest in October 2009, the crew’s hit list of brand-name marks—Paris Hilton, Lohan, The Hills’ Audrina Patridge, The O.C.’s Rachel Bilson, Orlando Bloom, Brian Austin Green, and Ashley Tisdale of High School Musical—netted them a reported $3 million in cash and swag. The same magazines and Web sites they fetishized ate it up. TMZ dubbed them the Burglar Bunch. The Los Angeles Times went with the Bling Ring. Media blog Gawker made their pitch for the Beverly Hills Bandits. Whatever you called them, it was apparently a story tailor-made for Hollywood, especially when the culprits—young, wealthy, and attractive—were finally collared. (Maxim)
It was always going to be a mere matter of weeks (days, minutes) before Hollywood adapted its own investigation, so I suppose we’re lucky Sophia Coppola got her hands on the case before the Lifetime Channel trampled the evidence. Oh, too late.
Lanny, I’ve read the script and the female lead in the gang is Katie Chang (second from the right). Also, Carlos Miranda plays one of the Hispanic members that falls in with the group later in their robberies. The film was not whitewashed.
Well, I definitely can’t wait to see this! Written and directed by Sofia Coppolla, I’m expecting this film to take us to places the writer/director has never delved before in her movies – crime, social media, obsession. I can’t even imagine the places I’m not thinking of that she will take this.
When I first read an article about the infamous “Bling Ring”, I couldn’t help but think what a ridiculously cool movie this story had the potential to be!!! It’s almost absurd, but it really happened! It’s a grim portrait of the world we live in, so I can’t wait for Sofia Coppolla’s take on it all!
C’est excite!!!!!
The actress second from right in the photo above is named Katie Chang; I assume she is Asian. She plays the character based on Rachel Lee. Carlos Miranda, who given his name is probably at least part Latino, and was in Warrior, is also playing one of the Bling Ring members, though he is not pictured above.
Oooh, I hope she skewers these little bastards! Giving the guy a douchey hat is a good start 😉
As much as I love Sofia Coppola, I find it very Hollywood of her and the casting director to have what appears to be an all-white main cast. The leader of the group, Rachel Lee, was Korean, and at least two of the other members were of Latino decent. I guess they’re operating under the “based on real events” clause, but I think that’s still pretty weak.
also- give ryan a break about the spelling… reminded me of a film professor who killed me (aloud in class) for pronouncing Werner Herzog “Werner” instead of “Verner”… i mean take it easy. It hid the fact that i could talk circles around my professor about Herzog and his films… don’t let the misspelling make you miss the point of a good argument or good writing.
i love Sofia Coppola… she is a clear auteur and this subject is right in line with the subject of her last 3 films. i hope its as stylish and gorgeous to look at.
I’m watching this because I love Sofia Coppola’s work.
And for Emma Watson. Mmmmmmmm, Emma Watson……
Sounds like Sofia Coppola has another interesting project on her hands. I seriously hope, though, that this resembles the beautiful artistry of her previous films.
Bazinga!
You make your living talking about movies, but can’t be bothered to spell names correctly. S-O-F-I-A
Neighborhood watch typo patrol is your job, Brooke C. Thanks for putting a 9-millimeter bullet in my chest. Good work.