Tuesday, August 06, 2013


One of my favourite genres in all of movie lore is that of crime doesn't pay. The latest to stand alongside cautionary tales such as Fargo and A Simple Plan and Cassandra's Dream and Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, is The Bling Ring. The film is adapted from a true story by screenwriter / director Sofia Coppola, Oscar winner for Lost in Translation, her latest exploration of the dark side of fame and fortune.

It's not necessary to like the central characters of a story to like it. This movie is definitely filled will unlikable brats, horrible parents, the dregs of Hollywood, and the shame of a community that is filled with talent but encourages avarice and sloth. Once the movie starts rolling and the teen crime-wave is underway, you are torn between a weird mix of hoping they get away with it and hoping they get caught. The mark of a well crafted movie though, is that despite not identifying or approving of the protagonists within it, you still admire the movie. And I really liked this movie a lot.

Plus, to really scar your childhood depending on how old you are, there's a scene where a Californian valley-girl accented Emma Watson spins around on a stripper pole.

The Bling Ring screens tonight (Tuesday August 6th) at the Mayfair at 9:00pm.

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