Fake It Till You Make It

First off, I have many reasons for defending my interest in seeing The Bling Ring:

1. The glamour. I'm a sucker for pretty things a.k.a any Sofia Coppola movie.

2. The story's background. I was an avid viewer of Pretty Wild  and basically have the "Nancy Jo, this is Alexis Niers calling" phone call down like a shallow pro.

3. The movie is an accurate and not so flattering representation of my generation.

It doesn't take a psychiatrist to figure out why these kids did what they did. They were stupid, bored, and like most people of the current youth, heavily influenced by the A-list/celebrity obsessed lifestyle. As someone who idolized Nicole Richie on The Simple Life and begged her parents for a Louis Vuitton all at the young age of seven, this obsession wasn't exactly newsworthy to me. We're all a little tainted by the desire to be rich and swimming in couture - pretty harmless ambition. We get a little too fascinated by Loubs and take too many selfies when we get into V.I.P. areas. It happens. But greed isn't the problem for the bling ring, or most of my generation, it's the lack of self-awareness. These kids were coked out like 95% of the time and lived in a bizarre fantasy. Like the LV my parents purchased to shut my 7-year-old self up, they were unstable knockoffs. And that fakeness gets disposed quite quickly.

Overall, Sofia did a great job showing the story without glamorizing the suspects. The characters' actions confirmed our generation is definitely corrupt but their selfishness doesn't define us. The American dream is still in tact with the "me" generation, it's just a bit more fueled by materialistic ideals. Our desires might be high, but in our defense, so are our standards. Yes, most girls worship the thought of owning a Birkin. But unlike this group, we're smart enough to earn it the authentic way - not steal it from Paris Hilton.

And sidenote - five stars for Emma Watson and Claire Julien's valley accents. Killed it.

Movie Review: Les Mis

I cried, I laughed, I swooned...I rushed to the bathroom to see how badly I damaged my makeup. I knew that Broadway's biggest musical was going to leave an emotional impact but was not prepared to be leaving the theater as such a mess. As expected, Anne Hathaway's "I Dreamed A Dream" sequence produced many tears and "cosigns" to her much talked about Oscar hype. But after Hathaway took the audience into a deep depression, I thought my emotions were safe because really, what could be more saddening than selling your body for your child's sake? Turns out, there were still more revolution children involved to continue my bawling.

My particular favorites in the movie were Samantha Barks and Aaron Tveit. As someone who is too attached over Eponine singing On My Own, I was ecstatic over Samantha's casting. Considering how short the role seemed (seriously, did anyone else feel like her part was severely cut?), she left a huge impact in the film. And then there was Aaron Tveit. I have a special place for Aaron in my heart after meeting him in his Catch Me If You Can days. It was a beautiful moment when his baby blues looked into my eyes as I blabbered on about how perfect he was and then instructed my sister where to stand when she took our picture. In that moment, I melted and knew he was a major husband contender. Of course, Les Mis only confirmed that belief. Aaron was incredible as Enjolras. And when he held up the iconic red flag? Maybe that wasn't the most appropriate time to be swooning, but I did...along with more crying.

Despite the mixed reviews on the film, I thought Les Mis was well done. Like the film version of Rent, which I will defend till the day I die, no one is ever pleased with how Broadway musicals are transformed into Hollywood movies. The two are nearly impossible to combine, but at least Les Mis was done justice (Remember when TSwift was in talks to play Eponine? This could've taken an awful turn...). Besides, I rarely see people in the movie theater so affected to the point of blowing their noses from crying and then clapping loudly at the end of films. In my experience, Les Mis did succeed with brining the stage atmosphere to the movies.

Movie Review: Katy Perry Concert!

Before yesterday, I had never looked to Katy Perry for fashion inspiration or really any type of inspiration. But after watching her concert movie, somebody better point me in the direction of where to get those blue wigs and cotton candy outfits because I now adore her! The movie not only shows Katy's entertaining performing skills, but also her quirky and sweet personality. You can't help but tear up a little while watching her marriage with Russell Brand crumble as she tries to juggle touring and love. In a heart wrenching scene regarding Brand, Katy is seen bawling her eyes out in costume before taking the stage. Just as she's about to be lifted up to her adoring fans, Perry takes several breaths and forces a charismatic smile. It's this moment that really praises Katy's ability as a star. The film proves that the 27 year old singer is certainly no shallow pop-star with a delusional outlook. Katy Perry knows how to entertain her audience with colorful theatrics but also has a firm grip on reality, outside of the makeup and costumes.

My favorite number, "Peacock"! But by this point, I was definitely questioning the under 10 year old crowd in the theater.

"If you have a dream, then you gotta go on a journey to fulfill that dream"

-Katy Perry