The Bling Ring appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.85:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. The movie came with a generally positive presentation.
Overall sharpness worked fine. Some softness interfered with a few low-light interiors and we got intentionally lower-res shots to replicate the characters’ phones, but the majority of the movie sported appealing accuracy.
No issues with jagged edges or moiré effects materialized, and I saw no edge haloes. Print flaws remained absent.
Ring opted for a stylized palette that varied from blown-out hues to heavy tones. These came across as intended by the film’s design choices.
Blacks became deep and dark, while shadows displayed good clarity. The image held up nicely.
As for the movie’s DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack, it used music as its most active factor. Various songs and score elements bloomed from the five channels in an active and involving manner.
Effects played a smaller part and outside of a few impactful moments like a car wreck, they tended to lean toward ambient material. This suited the story and allowed for a subdued but convincing soundscape.
Audio quality satisfied, with speech that appeared distinct and natural. Effects lacked a lot to do, but they seemed accurate and without issues.
Music depended on the source and some of the ultra-compressed songs could become a bit rough. However, these instances matched the source so I didn’t fault the disc. The audio satisfied for the tale at hand.
We get a handful of extras here, and Making The Bling Ring goes for 22 minutes, 51 seconds. It provides notes from writer/director Sofia Coppola, producer Youree Henley, production designer Anne Ross, executive producer Fred Roos, and actors Emma Watson, Katie Chang, Israel Broussard, Claire Julien, Taissa Farmiga, and Leslie Mann.
“Making” looks at the source tale and its adaptation, locations and visual design, cast and performances, costumes, and Coppola’s approach to the material. This turns into a reasonably interesting overview.
Behind the Real Bling Ring runs 23 minutes, 46 seconds. It involves author Nancy Jo Sales, Newsweek senior film editor Marlow Stern, Pretty Wild creator Dan Levy, TMZ news director Mike Walters, TMZ senior news producer Gary Trock, The Frenzy of Renown author Leo Braudy and The Mirror Effect co-author Dr. S. Mark Young.
As implied by the title, “Behind” looks at the facts that inspired the movie’s story and characters. It provides a solid summary.
Lastly, Scene of the Crime spans 10 minutes, 37 seconds. It features Paris Hilton as she discusses her reactions to the robberies at her house as well as her involvement in the film.
Hilton also takes us on a tour of her house. This becomes a moderately interesting reel.
The disc opens with ads for The Spectacular Now, Spring Breakers, A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. We also find the trailer for Ring.
As a depiction of vacuous youth, The Bling Ring does what it desires. However, this form of accuracy makes it tedious too much of the time. The Blu-ray comes with largely positive picture and audio as well as a few featurettes. Though not an unsuccessful film, Ring does become a bit of a chore to watch.