'THE BLING RING'

'THE BLING RING (R) (3 1/2 STARS)

Based on the Vanity Fair article "The Suspect Wore Louboutins"
Written and Directed by Sofia Coppola
Actors: Katie Chung, Emma Watson, Israel Broussard, Claire Julian, Taissa Farmiga, Leslie Mann, Gavin Rossdale.

Maybe it is because I am getting older but I am feeling a lot more of a disconnect with today's youth and definitely with the characters in Sofia Coppola's fast, funny and brilliant new movie "The Bling Ring". I can hang with my young co workers at work but I would feel like I was surrounded by aliens with the young people at the heart of this story. Nikki, Chloe, Rebecca, Sam and Marc are obsessed with pop culture and reality show celebrities and the lifestyle they have. They will band together to break into the homes of pseudo celebrities like Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Audrina Partridge and steal mostly their clothes and shoes.

This is based on a true story and I wasn't really shocked by their actions when a lot of young adults like them are so fascinated by cheap fame and the riches it bathes you in. I was surprised though by how fascinating and funny this movie was. Then again no one captures young adult women or young adults better than Sofia Coppola. Coppola displayed that keen observation with the haunting, beautiful and magnificent "The Virgin Suicides". Coppola is a huge talent, a smart writer and a great director and this is a really well shot movie. We don't like these people we are following but Coppola almost makes us like them with some very smart, funny writing.

Chicago's own Katie Chung is a great find as ringleader Rebecca who finds shy and withdrawn Marc, who doesn't fit in with others at school, and seduces him into breaking into the home of Paris Hilton to steal clothes and shoes. The group grows larger with Nikki played by Emma Watson, who has grown into a great actress, joining in. Nikki is a very shallow and air headed young woman who lives with her equally airheaded mother who home schools her. The group will then grow bigger by two as the brave but dumb young adults break into multiple star's homes to steal jewelry, clothes and even cars. They are either brave or stupid or maybe both but they want to live the lavish lifestyles of these pseudo celebrities.

You would think that this movie would sound tedious but that would is not true what with the sharp and very funny writing by Coppola. This is more of a satire on star culture, pop culture and the vanity of youth than a crime procedural. I love how the movie writes the character of Marc, very well played by Israel Broussard. He just wants to fit in with some kind of group, even a group of vain, criminals but I don't blame him, these women are hot. The movie fascinated me because these kids don't see themselves as criminals, they see themselves as part of Paris Hilton or Lindsay Lohan's life. I don't know why you would want to be part of their culture but some young adults only see beautiful jewelry and great clothes and fame.

I loved the writing, direction and acting of this movie starting with the beautiful cinematography by the late Harry Salvides. Coppola also knows how to move the camera making all the different break ins unique and different. Emma Watson is a delightful scream as Nikki and the character that fascinated me the most thanks to Watson. This beautiful young actress gives a winning and very funny performance and now with "Perks of Being a Wallflower" say goodbye to Hermione! Katie Chung and Israel Broussard are also great and special new talents in acting, their performances are captivating and solid. I also love the under rated and very funny Leslie Mann as Nikki's daffy mother.

"The Bling Ring" surprised me with it's sharp writing, humor and great acting because of the subject matter but I was not surprised at Coppola's talents. She is one of our best and brightest young writers and film makers. She knows how to shoot a movie and is great at working with young talent, especially women and she is very smart and careful in her choices. She has made another great movie with "The Bling Ring". It is a fast movie, funny, sharp with great satire and beautifully shot and just the right length. It made me think this thought, has our society become so jaded that our celebrities we worship now are reality show simpletons? Are young adults these days so obsessed with these pseudo celebrities that they want to become them by any means neccesary? Very sad indeed.