Sofia Coppola’s directorial follow up to 2010’s Somewhere is inspired by a hard to swallow but true story, which follows a group of privileged, aspiring to the A-Listers as they embark on a lucrative crime spree mostly for shits and giggles.
Israel Broussard plays Marc, the audiences point of entry to the story and the only one with what might be described as a rounded character, who bonds with borderline sociopath Rebecca (Katie Chang) at a school for problematic youngsters. They begin their criminal enterprise raiding unlocked cars for shopping spree money before graduating to housebreaking when they find out an acquaintance of Marc’s is off on a family holiday. Soon Marc is putting his basic online stalking skills to use identifying when famous homeowners will be out of town so that they, and an expanding group of friends, including Nicki (Emma Watson), Chloe (Claire Julien) and Sam (Taissa Farmiga) can get a taste of the lifestyles (and the shoes of) the Hollywood rich and famous.
Sadly bereft of tension, apart from a toe curling gun waving scene, which seems to have sneaked in from a different, much better film, the story follows the gang’s criminal activities as they bicker, whine and primp their way to the narratives inevitable conclusion.
The legal maneuvering at the end of the film could have provided some opportunity for insight into the characters motivations or growth as they face the consequences of their actions but Coppola instead chooses to to spend the majority of the films running time in a series of party and club scenes where the kids while away their time in mostly consequence free nights of drinking, dancing, selfies and star spotting.
Jumping from high school, to nightclub, to someone’s empty house, which the kids raid, the repetition of events may have been intended as a reflection of the emptiness of their lives but hardly makes for interesting viewing.
Knowing they will get caught from the start perhaps the only thing that is surprising is how long it takes them to get their comeuppance, especially considering their very cavalier attitude to secrecy, the occasional raised hoody notwithstanding. Only Marc seems to have the self awareness to do some fretting, but this doesn’t go so far as to stop him offloading a box of Orlando Bloom’s Rolexes to nightclub owner Ricky (a stoically wooden Gavin Rossdale) for a pittance and then blowing it on expensive vodka.
Though a few cameos from celebs including burglary victim Hilton and a kooky Hollywood mom (Leslie Mann) add a veneer of authenticity the film as a whole feels like a missed opportunity to comment on or at least investigate the kind of well off youngsters who would steal from someones house then enquire of the police detective what the famous owner said about them.
EIFF 2013 — count: 13
Festivals — count: 132
