Emma Watson gets rebellious in slick teaser for Sofia Coppola's 'The Bling Ring'
The latest from the Oscar-winning writer-director opens June 14
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One of the films I'm most looking forward to this summer is "The Bling Ring" -- partly because I'm intrigued by the true-life story of teen burglars preying on celebrity homes in the Hollywood Hills, but mostly because Sofia Coppola is a filmmaker I'm still happy to follow anywhere.
I know a lot of viewers haven't been on board with her since "Lost in Translation," for which she won an Oscar almost 10 years ago, but I maintain that "Marie Antoinette" is a pretty rapturous remix of the historical biopic template, while the beguilingly low-key "Somewhere" was worthy of its much-questioned Golden Lion at Venice in 2010. Her privileged background and high-fashion aesthetic may make her an easy target, but she has yet to put a foot wrong in my book.
By the look of this fast, flashy, pleasingly oblique teaser for "The Bling Ring," this isn't going to get her back in the Academy's good books, or win many converts to her style -- but it's clearly a more jumped-up effort than the woozy "Somewhere," seemingly applying the youthful excess of "Marie Antoinette" to a contemporary LA context. This is the world she knows, and she's clearly taken no heed of the critics who claimed she needed to stray from it after her last film. Good on her.
Emma Watson takes the role of the ringleader, as it were -- and with this coming on the heels of an acclaimed turn in "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," she appears to be edging ahead of Daniel Radcliffe in the contest for the most credible post-Potter career. Leslie Mann, fresh from "This is 40," stars as Watson's mother.
Below the line, meanwhile, it's poignant to note that this is the last feature credit for the late, great cinematographer Harris Savides, who was also responsible for the gorgeous sheen of "Somewhere." To complete his work on the film, Coppola his chosen wisely: "Meek's Cutoff" DP Christopher Blauvelt has done the honors.
"Bling Rings" opens on June 14, and a week earlier than that in France -- which suggests to be that a Cannes berth (Coppola's first since the rocky reception for "Marie Antoinette" in 2006) is on the cards. Check out the teaser embedded above this post and tell us what you think.
2012-2013 OSCAR PREDICTIONS
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Original Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Best Costume Design
Best Film Editing
Best Makeup And Hairstyling
Best Original Score
Best Original Song
Best Production Design
Best Sound Editing
Best Sound Mixing
Best Visual Effects
Best Animated Feature Film
Best Documentary Feature
Best Foreign Language Film
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupSJG
March 8, 2013 at 7:39PM EST Reply to CommentI've only ever seen Marie Antoinette of Sofia Coppola's filmography, but I loved it, so I've been looking forward to this.
Felipe
March 8, 2013 at 8:00PM EST Reply to CommentGuy, Could I post the link of my blog to you and everyone see my film awards? Please say yes.
Guy Lodge You're welcome to post the link here in the comments.
March 8, 2013 at 8:23PM ESTFelipe Thank you!
March 8, 2013 at 8:49PM ESThttp://felipe-cinema.blogspot.com/
Please look out and comment. I expect you like it and also your comments.
Ben
March 8, 2013 at 8:50PM EST Reply to CommentI am intrigued. Like you Sofia Coppola is someone I am always interested with. Teaser does more of the general arc of the story, I can't wait to see some of the dialogue and see how she gets into these kids heads.
Chris138
March 8, 2013 at 9:12PM EST Reply to CommentReminds me a lot of the (several) trailers that have been released for Spring Breakers.
Chris138
March 8, 2013 at 9:12PM EST Reply to CommentReminds me a lot of the (several) trailers that have been released for Spring Breakers.
Chris138 I have no idea why this posted twice. Apologies.
March 8, 2013 at 9:13PM ESTGuy Lodge Some obvious parallels, yes, but Spring Breakers is a looooong way from Coppola's style.
March 8, 2013 at 10:41PM ESTThe Dude
March 8, 2013 at 10:29PM EST Reply to CommentYeah, I don't think any of her movies was bad, but I think Sofia Coppola definitively would benefit from a change of setting and more ambition. There's only so much "rich people with existential problems" movies one can make.
mridge1
March 9, 2013 at 12:27AM EST Reply to CommentLooking forward to this one. Check out the Vanity Fair article that this is based on if you're looking for a good read.
Sergio Espinoza
March 9, 2013 at 1:37AM EST Reply to CommentGuy I'm with you! I love Sofia Coppola and im so looking forward to this movie!
And for me, Somewhere its the best Coppola movie! Even better than Lost in Translation
DylanS
March 9, 2013 at 1:37AM EST Reply to CommentWhile I'm not as crazy about "Lost in Translation" as others are, I agree with Guy in that I think she's a consistently on target director.
FUZZ
March 9, 2013 at 12:17PM EST Reply to CommentVery excited for this one. Watson may not be the leader of it after all though. She tweeted yesterday: "I don't really 'star' in the Bling Ring. I am probably 3rd/4th of the lead characters. (In case media/marketing is a bit misleading.)" and "The awesome Israel Broussard and Katie Chang take the helm."
Biddle
March 9, 2013 at 3:26PM EST Reply to CommentThis is the first I had heard of this movie, but this story caught my attention because Emma Watson is attached to it. She so Impressed me in Perks Of Being a Wall flower that I'm keeping my open oh what she does next..
So seeing her name made me watch this teaser and I don't know if its because I was watching it on my iPad and missed some small details but I had no idea what this movie was about. It just seemed like a party movie. It wasn't until I read Guy's write up that I understood.
Now I am one of the loudest complainers about trailers giving too much away, but this teaser told me nothing about the story so unless I'm a rich kid who wants to watch a movie about rich kids wasting time and money I would have just taken this off my list of things to watch for, even with Watson in it.
But like I say now that I read about it I'm interested again. The problem is, is that most movie goers don't take time to read about what's coming, they rely on a trailer to pull them in and in this instance this trailers fails.
Trailer making used to be an art, there's not many studios out there anymore that can find that right balance to help set their film apart without either confusing people or giving too much away.
The studios should be thankful for sites like this that champions movies and actors like Watson because possible gems like this can get lost in the is due to sub-par trailer editing.
Biddle I really need to get a keyboard for my iPod, auto correct tends to slice up my posts and scrolling back in this little text box to edit can be annoying lol. Hmmm, I guess I could just type everything in a text doc and copy and paste. Carry on.
March 9, 2013 at 3:29PM ESTdavid Love her movies can't wait to see this!!!!!!! Lost in translation was much better than somewhere
March 9, 2013 at 4:33PM ESTMojo CoCo
March 9, 2013 at 5:41PM EST Reply to CommentCoppola always gets a ton of flack for making movies about people who are better off. Rich people with existential problems isnt really a fair way to describe her work though (i admit i havent seen somewhere). Really, the root problems in most of her movies are things that everyone goes through, even though they may have a lot less money.
B
March 9, 2013 at 6:54PM EST Reply to CommentIt would be cool if this and Spring Breakers managed to transcend the teen movie stigma to get some real attention from critics groups.
viki
March 9, 2013 at 10:57PM EST Reply to CommentOf course I'm gunna see this movie! 1, I live in the area that this happened in, and now my daughter goes to the continuation h.s. that these now "notorious and infamous" criminals went to. 2, I love true or, loosely based on true stories that are made into movies. 3, Sophia Coppola is great. I think the Virgin Suicides is my favorites of hers.