The Bling Ring

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When I heard rumors Sofia Coppola was making a film based on The Bling Ring I began counting the days until the release.

I have been obsessed with this story since I first saw reports of it on TMZ in 2008 and yesterday I was lucky enough to attended a preview screening.

The Bling Ring is based on the real life crime spree of a group of Calabasas teenagers who broke into stars homes in the Hollywood Hills from 2008-2009.

Real-crime, celebrities, designer fashions and spoiled self-entitled teens. What’s not to love about this story!

Coppola was inspired to create the film after reading the Vanity Fair feature “The Suspects Wore Louboutins” about the gang.

Reviews of the film have been a little iffy (verging on negative) so I had my reservations going in but sat anxiously with my fingers crossed repeating quietly to myself “please be good, please be good”.

…and it was!  I really should learn to never listen to mainstream film reviews.  My personal taste always seems at odds with “the experts”.

The Bling Ring delivers an ironic look at today’s culture and obsession with celebrities and luxury brands through  Sofia Coppola’s signature  hard hitting visuals and rockin’ soundtrack.

Fashion and social media play heavily in the film- after all The Bling Ring suspects broke into celebrity homes such as Lindsey Lohan, Paris Hilton and Orlando Bloom in order to steal designer wares and often posted “selfies” of their spoils on Facebook.

[SPOILERS AHEAD]

Many of the scenes take place in the home of Paris Hilton, which in real life was hit repeatedly by the gang.  Police reports state that at one point the gang’s leader even carried Paris Hilton’s house key (which she found under the doormat) on her own key ring.

These scenes were shot in Paris’ actual home!  Coppola told WWD “That was really her house, and we didn’t art direct it. She really has the club room, the pillows and all of that.”

OMG The Fashions!

The hauls these kids stuff into Louis Vuitton logoed weekenders in the celeb’s homes  is enough to make any fashionista salivate: Louis Vuitton, Balmain, Rolex, Louboutin, Birkin, Herve Leger, Chanel, Rick Owens.  It was like a who’s who of fashion!

In one of the most humorous scenes of the film the gang enters Paris Hilton’s closet which not only has a chandelier but is adorned in wall to wall to wall (the closet is HUGE) Louboutin’s.  Coppola amusingly plays up a well known bit of insider fashion trivia that every beginning fashion connoisseur learns, Paris Hilton has extremely large feet, when the only one in the gang that can wear her shoes is Marc, the male member of group. (I personally can’t help but think that the name of this character is a nod to Coppola’s best friend Marc Jacobs- who as creative director for Louis Vuitton helped Coppola secure many of the fabulous Louis Vuitton pieces for the film).

Is The Bling Ring going to win “Best Picture”? Probably not, but it is an intriguing and thought provoking look at our society at the moment.

The sign of  good art.  After leaving the theater I wanted to know more.  What happened to The Bling Ring, where are they now, what became of them?  I was busy Googleing all afternoon.

Any film that inspires you to do further research is a definite must see and a fashionable good time!

The Bling Ring opens nationwide on June 21st.  

Go see it.  Trust me, you’ll love it and you’ll never think of the phrase “let’s go shopping” the same ever again.

enter to win

Enter for your chance to win THE BLING RING prize pack including a t-shirt and a copy of the new book The Bling Ring: How A Gang Of Fame-Obsessed Teens Ripped Off Hollywood And Shocked The World by award-winning journalist Nancy Jo Sales!

THE BLING RING starring Emma Watson, Katie Chang and directed by Sofia Coppola, opens in theaters everywhere on Friday, June 21!

To Enter:

Leave a comment on this post between June 11 and June 18th telling me what celeb’s closet you would love to “shop in” if you were a member of The Bling Ring.

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14 Comments

  1. Can’t wait to see this movie! I heard about this crime spree on TMZ as well and couldn’t get over the fact that the “gang” would continue to go back to the celeb homes repeatedly.

  2. I saw that story and how they were actually making The Bling Ring movie! I’ve been loving Emma Watson’s movies lately so I’m actually a little excited to see it! If I could have done the same thing to a celeb I’d probably have to go with J.Lo. Even in her 40s that girl’s got style and an awesome shoe collection. I might have to lose like 50 lb.s to fit into it all but hey, at least we’re similar in height hehe.

  3. I am dying to see this!!! Can’t wait! I would shop in Nicole Richie’s closet. I would be way to big to fit in most of her stuff. But I have my eye on her caftans and flowy boho pieces…

  4. Can the closet be in a kitchen? If so, Martha Stewart…lol. I would love to get into Gwen Stefani’s closet — while she’s worn things that I definitely didn’t like, she’s worn a lot that I love. And a definite would be Angelina Jolie…plus I got to imagine Brad’s closet isn’t that far away?

  5. Oh, yea!!! I didn’t realize they were doing a movie about this, but I do remember when it happened. This sounds like one of those guilty pleasures I’d put in on the rare afternoon home alone – I think I’ll have to add it to the list! 🙂

  6. Your review made my want to see this movie even more big!

    I would love to “shop in” Kristen Stewart’s or Marina and the Diamonds! Both have very different fashion taste but both always look amazing!

  7. This would be so neat to win!!! I would love to snoop through your closet Christie!! But if that doesn’t count then I’d have to say Ice Ts wife Nicole “Coco” !!!

  8. I love Sofia Coppola’s movies. Looking forward to this one for sure! I didn’t know this was a true story and that their was a book about it! I hope I win because I would love to read the book. Not a big fan but her fashion is serious – Blake Lively. I would love to shop in her closet, but I would probably have to hem everything up.

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