Emma Watson celebrates her post- "Harry Potter" freedom at the Cannes Film Festival. Watson is the star of Sofia Coppola's "The Bling Ring," which premiered Thursday at the French Riviera festival.

The 23-year-old actress is taking on a new role with this film. Watson plays a celebrity-obsessed teenager from Los Angeles who steals from the homes of Hollywood stars with her friends. The actress said she struggled with learning the thick valley-girl accent. On the other hand, she had some more freedom with the script, as opposed to reciting lines "people know by heart" in the Harry Potter movies.

Watson looked elegant and demure in a maroon crop top and skirt that hit just above the knees. The outfit was fringed with feather details along the hems. She paired her look with classy black suede stilettos and her hair pulled back in a low bun.

Emma watched reality shows featuring the Kardashians and Paris Hilton to prepare for her role in "The Bling Ring." She said she had to understand how social media drives the celebrity age and the psychology behind her character, The Daily Mail reported.

'I needed to understand and emphasize with her, and get the accent down', Emma said at a press conference in Cannes.

Sofia Coppola's film is based on a real story of a Los Angeles gang that broke into the homes of celebrities like Paris Hilton and Lindsey Lohan.

Owen Gleiberman, from Entertainment Weekly, raved about the film: "The acting is so authentic that it takes a while to differentiate the girls, and that's part of the film's texture, too -- its unsensational look at sensational (if trivial) crimes. Katie Chang gives Rebecca a coolly synthetic sensual glow, and Emma Watson, playing Nicki, a real mean girl, does a remarkable job of demonstrating that glassy-eyed insensitivity doesn't have to be stupid."

The Bling Ring" arrives in U.S. theaters on June 14.