COPPOLA. Helms “The Bling Ring.” RUBEN V. NEPALES
LOS ANGELES—Imagine, director Sofia Coppola still remembers how to sing the “Pambansang Awit” (the Philippine national anthem). We were floored when Sofia, speaking in her usual quiet manner, replied to our question on what she remembers about the Philippines when she and her family were there for the “Apocalypse Now” shoot: “I know the national anthem. I could sing it, but I won’t.”
The shy, soft-spoken daughter of Francis Ford Coppola added, “I was very young (she told me later she was about 5 years old), but I have nice memories of the Philippines and its people. My nanny, who raised me, was Filipino. It was such a warm culture and a beautiful place. I’d love to go back.”
Younger sister
Our question to Sofia was prompted by one of her answers in an interview piece by Lee Radziwill, the younger sister of the late US First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, for a recent issue of The New York Times’ Style Magazine.
To Lee’s question, “What location interested you the most?” Sofia replied, “The Philippines for ‘Apocalypse Now’ was the most exotic. I was little, about Romy’s (her daughter) age. We were there for more than a year. That was the most exotic and fun, but I always liked to go on location.
“When we moved for ‘The Outsiders’ to Tulsa, Oklahoma, my parents put us in the local school. So, I felt like I got to have a sense of different kinds of people.
“My dad was very charismatic and exciting, and doing interesting things, always having people over and blasting opera and cooking, and so I have good memories. We didn’t have a boring childhood.”
Sofia herself has become a respected filmmaker. In her latest film, “The Bling Ring,” which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last month, she tackles the story, based on actual events, of a band of fashion- and celebrity-obsessed teens who burglarized the homes of the likes of Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton and Orlando Bloom in LA. For her cast, Sofia tapped Emma Watson, Israel Broussard, Katie Chang, Taissa Farmiga, Claire Julien and Leslie Mann.
Experience
Sofia has had personal experience with home theft. “My apartment in Paris was broken into,” said the director, whose credits include “Lost in Translation” and “The Virgin Suicides.” “They stole some jewelry, and I didn’t get them back. So, I know what that’s like.”
The mother of two girls with Thomas Mars, frontman of the band, Phoenix, admitted, “I always used to leave my house unlocked in LA. It’s more of an LA thing. I live in New York right now, so I’m aware of it. And I have kids, so I am being careful, but I didn’t think as much about it until the story. I try to be less casual about home security.”
In a strange twist, Paris Hilton opened her abode to Sofia and her crew, so they could film scenes of the Hollywood theft ring burglarizing the hotel heiress’ place.
What was also remarkable was that the Bling Ring broke into Paris’ house six times. “Paris travels a lot,” said Sofia. “She’s not very organized. I know a lot of the story is hard to believe.”
On what led those LA high school students to turn into burglars specializing in looting celebs, Sofia answered, “It’s a combination of things: These kids were 16 years old, and they were trying to find their identity. They are lost about who they’re admiring and who they want to be like.”
On Leslie Mann, who plays the mother of Emma Watson’s character, Nicki (based on Bling Ring member, Alexis Neiers, who was followed by a reality show, “Pretty Wild”), “I try not to be judgmental but definitely watching the reality show and seeing where they were coming from…she (Leslie’s character) was interested in fame. So, I’m sure that had an impact on where the kids’ interests were. They weren’t having a balance of other cultures from their families. It was all coming from this tabloid culture. That has to be part of the story.”
Sofia, who debuted onscreen as the baby being baptized in “The Godfather’s” climactic montage of violence interspersed with a christening, was asked how she’s raising her two daughters. “I try to expose them to music and art and be aware of other people,” she answered. “We do Girl Scouts and things like that…To have a balance, you show them other interests. I don’t know what they’re going to be into, but I give them a balance of what I think is important and the culture that I value.”
Does Sofia ever show her film to her father? “I like being independent, but I show him my cut when I’m editing,” she said, breaking again into that enigmatic, bashful grin. “Sometimes, he makes suggestions, then I make it how I feel it should be!”
E-mail rvnepales_5585@yahoo.com. Follow twitter.com/ nepalesruben.