This is a weekly meme that I am hosting here at Reviews from a Bookworm. All you have to do is share a movie review once a week and link back to here.
This weeks movie review will be for: The Bling Ring
This weeks movie review will be for: The Bling Ring
I saw this in Asda and it was super cheap so I thought I would give it a go. I must confess that a large part of the reason I picked it up was the fact Emma Watson is in it. What can I say, I love her. But I also found the whole true story behind it really fascinating. I hadn't ever heard of the Bling Ring until I read about the movie when it was close to being released. I just found it so strange all of the things they were able to get away with for so long.
Like most movies that are based on true events, this makes some changes and isn't going to be 100% accurate to the true story, but it is pretty close. It tell the story of a group of young adults who spend their free time breaking into celebrity houses. Whilst inside they rifle through those celebrities clothes and jewellery and taking any thing that takes their fancy. This may sound a little crazy, especially the fact they don't get caught for so long, but the real life Bling Ring were responsible for stealing over $3 million in money and possessions from these people's homes.
You know from the get go that these are not going to be likeable characters, and they aren't. They are all really detestable and I spent the whole film just waiting for the moment they got caught. I wanted to see them finally have their actions catch up to them because, for the longest time, they act like they are untouchable. I don't think anyone watching this movie will feel even a slither of sympathy for any of these characters. They just act like a bunch of spoiled children, who spend all their free time stealing, doing drugs and getting drunk. It saddens me that this is based on real people, these people actually exist and that is depressing.
I think the movie is quite well done, the acting was solid as well. Emma Watson's accent did get to me a little, it seemed a little too over the top and a little too put on. Now, I'm not sure if that was what she was purposefully trying to do, and it could be because that is a lot like the character herself. And when you think of the fact that she had a great accent in Perks, that wasn't over the top at all, and I start to suspect it was supposed to sound that way.
My main problem with the film was that for a movie that has such a sensational story, it was really dull. I just found myself watching it but not getting into it. I watched because I had started and wanted to finish, not because I was enjoying it all that much. There were too many scenes that were just tension building music and no dialogue. You can see what the director is trying to do, but it just didn't work for me. I felt a bit of a disconnect from it all.
I was also surprised at just how easily the characters got into these houses, even more so when I realised it was actually that easy for the real life Bling Ring. I just always assumed that celebrities, especially with the amount of money and possessions in their houses, would have better security. The only good thing about the Bling Ring is that it probably made a lot of celebs realise the importance of locking your doors, windows and maybe getting an alarm system.
3/5 Butterflies
This has a really interesting story, especially since it is based on real life events. The acting was pretty solid all the way through and worked to really sell the characters to me. The characters were once that were all too easy to despise and all too easy to root for them to get caught. As interesting as the main story line was, the film itself was a little boring. I just didn't really connect with it, I was just watching it in order to get to the end.
I have been meaning to take part in both of the following memes for a while now, so its nice to finally be able to get to them. I will be taking part in Reading is Fun Again's Thoughtful Thursday and Okay, Let's Read's Thursday Thoughts.
I love Okay, Let's Read's topic this week, which is: Classics
Do I read them? Do I like them? Do I feel pressure as a blogger to be knowledgeable about them?
Confession: I haven't read many classics, and I don't plan to start reading more any time soon. As a blogger I don't feel pressure to have to read them or know all about them. I feel like it is like every other genre or book out there, people like what they like, they read what they like and I am fine with that. Some people adore crime fiction, others prefer science fiction. So I don't feel bad that I don't read many classics, I have at least read a few and enjoyed them. In all honesty, I am much more likely to read a children's classic than an adult fiction one. I have a few that I do want to read, like Pride and Prejudice, but most of them don't really sound like books that I would read if they weren't described as 'classics'. A few classics I have read and enjoyed would be Lord of the Flies, The Great Gatsby and a ton of Shakespeare.
And Reading is Fun Again's topic is about: Series
This is about when you start reading a series late, when it already has a ton of books out, short stories and novella's, prequels and everything else. How do you read the series? Full length books first and then everything else after. In order of chronological order or publication date?
In all honesty I usually read a series in the order an author released it. So if it went first book, second book, prequel, third book, a 1.5 novella and then final book, I would read it in that order. I feel like if that's the order it was written in then that will be the order I will read it in. I'm not sure why, it's just how I have to do things. Although, I do really hate this trend of series now having to have a prequel and about twenty different pointless novellas. I preferred when you just got all the books of a series. Novellas are starting to really bug me, prequels too.
Do I read them? Do I like them? Do I feel pressure as a blogger to be knowledgeable about them?
Confession: I haven't read many classics, and I don't plan to start reading more any time soon. As a blogger I don't feel pressure to have to read them or know all about them. I feel like it is like every other genre or book out there, people like what they like, they read what they like and I am fine with that. Some people adore crime fiction, others prefer science fiction. So I don't feel bad that I don't read many classics, I have at least read a few and enjoyed them. In all honesty, I am much more likely to read a children's classic than an adult fiction one. I have a few that I do want to read, like Pride and Prejudice, but most of them don't really sound like books that I would read if they weren't described as 'classics'. A few classics I have read and enjoyed would be Lord of the Flies, The Great Gatsby and a ton of Shakespeare.
And Reading is Fun Again's topic is about: Series
This is about when you start reading a series late, when it already has a ton of books out, short stories and novella's, prequels and everything else. How do you read the series? Full length books first and then everything else after. In order of chronological order or publication date?
In all honesty I usually read a series in the order an author released it. So if it went first book, second book, prequel, third book, a 1.5 novella and then final book, I would read it in that order. I feel like if that's the order it was written in then that will be the order I will read it in. I'm not sure why, it's just how I have to do things. Although, I do really hate this trend of series now having to have a prequel and about twenty different pointless novellas. I preferred when you just got all the books of a series. Novellas are starting to really bug me, prequels too.
And my giveaway to celebrate reaching 850 Bloglovin' followers!
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That Bling Ring review was so interesting Charnell! I was considering this film and book a while ago, but now, I think I'll avoid it actually, it doesn't sound too hot. I'm actually looking out for Now You See Me about magicians who steal things, have you watched it? It'd be great to see a review if you have! I also both agree and disagree on the series topic. When I read the Iron Fey, I read the novellas in between each of the books, and I did think they were pretty pointless, but I think if I hadn't read them in order of series and had in publication, I would have felt a little, well, odd and confused about it. I haven't read all of the Skulduggery's though, and would love to read them before the 9th book is released, which contracts that entire other sentence, but hey, it's Skully and I love him! I do genuinely think that novellas are only good if they add a new perspective or extra level to the story, not just an extra day or 20 minutes to the adventure :)
ReplyDeleteIt's not a bad movie, but it just isn't my sort of thing. I am no expert on films when it comes to critical reviews, but I can easily say what I like and dislike in a film. It wasn't bad, it just didn't interest me that much. I liked the story behind it, but not the movie itself.
DeleteI have seen Now You See Me, I saw it at the cinema when it came out. I actually quite enjoyed that, even if the storyline was a lot stranger than I thought it was going to be. It had a lot of interesting plot twists that I didn't see coming. I'd actually love to rewatch and review that one.
I can't decide with novellas and things. Sometimes I think about just skipping them because, most of the time, they don't add much to the story.
I ended up watching The Bling Ring for the same reasons you did, and I actually ended up enjoying it. It was only the second of Sofia Coppola's movies that I've seen, but I'm starting to become a big fan of her style as a director. I can also see how others would be turned off by it though.
ReplyDeleteI'm really bad about reading classics. Most of the ones I've read have been for school, but I do want to read more of them. I just like being able to get references that other people will make to a book. I really want to read more Jane Austen since I've read two of her books already and really enjoyed them. (I totally recommend Pride and Prejudice by the way.) I'm also really intrigued by Jane Eyre and want to read that. However, there are also classics that I never want to even attempt, like Moby Dick.
I like reading series in publication order too, but it also kind of frustrates me when series are published out of chronological order. It's not my biggest pet peeve, but I'm not very fond of it. My biggest annoyance is when there are companion series (one example that I'm reading right now are Cassandra Clare's series) that are published simultaneously. I've read all of the Mortal Instruments series now and decided to do that before starting on the Infernal Devices because it was too confusing figuring out publication order, but I feel like I'm missing out on so much because I decided to read them that way. The series all made sense. I just feel like having some knowledge from the Infernal Devices would have made the experience even better.
I could appreciate what she was doing, but her style wasn't for me. But, I am definitely no expert when it comes to critically reviewing a movie. I can really only comment on what I liked or disliked about it lol.
DeleteMe too, I am just not the biggest classics fan. I have quite a few classics on my 'want to read' list and definitely have a list of classics that I never even want to try and attempt... Moby Dick is on the second one!
I didn't even realise they were companion series, but I haven't read either. Companion series would probably just drive me absolutely crazy, that would hurt my brain too much to figure out what order to read them in.
The Bling Ring sounds kind of interesting, so it's such a shame that you found it dull! Boo!
ReplyDeleteI know, boo sums it up! =D
DeleteOoh. I absolutely LOVE movies. I don't even know why it started. But I just feel like watching movies whenever I have breaks. :) I should come here for movie recommendations from now on! I always need them. Emma Watson? I love her! Great post!
ReplyDeleteCindy @ In This World of Books..
Thanks so much! I love movies too, I used to obsessively go to the cinema once a week at least, but lately I haven't had much that has gotten me excited to go see it. But I still buy DVDs a lot and love to watch a movie at home. I hope you come back and find something awesome to watch =D
DeleteOooh that's interesting. I saw the Bling Ring at work and it looked intriguing, I never knew that sort of stuff was happening, but I didn't feel compelled to buy any more than I did with The Wolf of Wall Street. I can't really learn much from their (often criminal) lives.
ReplyDeleteClassics... I'm studying for an English Lit degree, so I do read them. Some are amazing and some are awful. I think an avid book reader should have an awareness of them but not necessarily be compelled to read them. Some are just as bad as some modern books I've read (my pet peeve is Wuthering Heights... don't get me started. And yet, Pride & Prejudice I adore.)
I like to read a series in order, although I got into the Ben Aaronovitch Peter Grant series (Detective Fantasy) from the second book, which was awesome, so I went back to 1 and followed the series.
My sister has a friend who reads stand-alone books only and refuses to read sagas and trilogies. Something about trying to get more money out of you. As far as I'm concerned, if a story is great I will follow it to the end of the earth (I intend to get into Terry Pratchett books... ALL OF THEM) but... It's just a shame when a 10-part series is amazing up to Book 9, and then Book 10 sucks. (Naming no names.)
Aww poop. I was aiming for a short comment. Sorry >.<
DeleteLong comments are always great, I prefer long comments :)
DeleteI would love to hear which classics you recommend then. I have read and loved some and read and hated others. Would love to get your opinion on them! :)
I don't think it is always about trying to get more money out of you. Some stories NEED to be more than one book, I'm thinking Harry Potter and so much more. I adore series, I love reading series and I am more than happy to read a series - if the story is worth it. If it is just being forced into a series for money making reasons - After the End comes to mind, I have no idea why that is being made into a series - then I am not at all interested.
Yeah, I hear you. Well, in my first year of university we had to read Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin and The Bell by Iris Murdoch. For me, the former started off amazing and ended horribly, the latter begin slow and ended AMAZINGLY. The Turn Of The Screw - Henry James. The Shining - Stephen King (I suppose it counts!). Just a few. But interestingly enough about classics, it was university that made me get into them and want to read more. I enjoyed Pride and Prejudice a lot more then than when I was a child.
DeleteWhich classics would you recommend? :3
I'll have to keep an eye out for some of the ones that you have mentioned. I read and really enjoyed The Great Gatsby, I had thought it would be one that I would hate but I really loved it. I also remember really enjoying Lord of the Flies, but I read that back when I was in school - so I was probably only 15 or 16 at the time. I should probably give more classics a try, I do want to get to Pride and Prejudice.
DeleteThe Bling Ring….hmmm, I don't know if I want to see this. I remember when I first heard about it and it sounded interesting, and I love Emma Watson too, but I just never heard anything great about it, and it sounds like it was just ok for you. Maybe I'll watch it sometime (if I'm really bored). :)
ReplyDeleteClassics…I've read a decent amount, but to be honest, I usually don't enjoy them. Classics usually equal boring to me. I do love Jane Austen, though.
As far as series, I definitely read them in order (does anyone not?) but I'm not a big novella fan. They're usually so short and nothing much happens and so they seem pretty pointless to me. It seems like it's the thing to do these days, though. Sometimes a novella is interesting if it's from the POV of another character.
Great post! ~Pam
It was just okay for me, I kind of wish I had just googled the original Bling Ring and not bothered with the movie. That's kind of what most classics equal for me too.
DeleteI know, who doesn't read them in order. I meant more when a prequel is released AFTER the third book or something. That's when I struggled to decide when to read what. I like novellas if they aren't pointless, different POVs can be good if it's someones POV you really wanted to get.