So this Acculturated review of THE BLING RING makes it sound pretty interesting, despite being directed and co-written by Sophia Coppola, who also wrote and directed LOST IN TRANSLATION, which many regard as one of the most criminally over-rated movies ever. But the interest will depend, I guess, on our willingness to assume it’s worthwhile to ponder at length contemporary vapidity at its most vapid:
The Bling Ring isn’t dialogue-rich because the kids have little to say. Much of the dialogue is taken from the Vanity Fair interviews with ring members. When the thieves speak, it’s nothing short of verbal diarrhea: take Nicki (based on the “fame monster” Alexis Neiers): “I’m a firm believer in Karma, and I think this situation was attracted into my life because it was supposed to be a huge learning lesson for me to grow and expand as a spiritual human being.”
I guess I’m talking myself out of the assumption even as I write this.
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
The Church in the Age of Therapy
In 1966, Philip Rieff wrote in The Triumph of the Therapeutic that “Religious man was born to…
Canada’s Deadliest Blind Spot
On September 20, the Daily Mail ran a story with the provocative headline, “Our 83-year-old Christian grandmother…
The Faithful Joy of Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen
Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen seem to have had little in common. She favored rhinestones; he wore…
