The Runaways (2010)

The Runaways: Directed by Floria Sigismondi. With Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Michael Shannon, Stella Maeve. A coming-of-age biographical film about the 1970s teenage all-girl rock band The Runaways. The relationship between band members Cherie Currie and Joan Jett is also explored.

“THE RUNAWAYS chronicles the run of one of the most successful all-girl rock bands of all time. The film is based on u0026quot;Neon Angelu0026quot;, the autobiography of the bandu0026#39;s original lead singer Cherie Currie, and it gives us a glimpse into the world of rock and roll as seen from the perspective of a group of teenage girls on their way to super-stardom. I had heard some good things about the film when it was first making the festival circuit, but I wasnu0026#39;t as impressed when I finally got a chance to see it myself. The cast did an amazing job in their roles but the film wasnu0026#39;t as great as it probably could have been.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe problem with music biopics, particularly for rock stars, is that most rock stars seem to encounter the same problems: sex, drugs, booze, addiction, conflicting personalities, etc. So we get a lot of repetition with each rock star film and RUNAWAYS is no different. Cherieu0026#39;s decline into addiction, the in-band conflicts, the initial excitement of success and the eventual succumbing to the stress and strain of maintaining the lifestyle. Itu0026#39;s nothing we havenu0026#39;t seen before in other films, itu0026#39;s just happening to younger characters. Itu0026#39;s fine though because the performances are strong enough that itu0026#39;s easy to forget that the materialu0026#39;s nothing new. My main problem with the film was that it came across as unstructured. It felt as if the filmmakers had just strung along random interesting events in the Runaways history and it made it feel like the movie was just wandering along. As a result, the movie loses itu0026#39;s momentum after their first major gig and drags through the last half. It begins around the time Cherie begins to lose control which is a shame; I should be concerned for her character, not bored by the meandering storyline.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe filmu0026#39;s saving grace is the cast. Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, and Michael Shannon did an amazing job. Kristen Stewart has earned some major credibility with me thanks to this film. I was concerned that a girl famous for her role in the TWILIGHT saga would ruin such an iconic role (Joan Jett) but she did a fantastic job and seemed to embody her perfectly. Dakota Fanning is Cherie and Iu0026#39;ve always thought of Fanning as one of the most talented young stars in Hollywood. She provides an innocence in Cherieu0026#39;s character at the start that makes the film interesting to watch when her stardom warps and destroys it. Shannon is the groupu0026#39;s manager Kim Fowley. Fowley is apparently infamous for his aggressive style, and his training sessions with the Runaways are the best parts of the film.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eYou canu0026#39;t have a music film without the music that inspired it and the soundtrack to the film is awesome. Itu0026#39;s loaded with music from the Runaways and Joanu0026#39;s later solo run. The filmmakeru0026#39;s transport you back to the late 70s with their dedication to the style, from the clothes to the music and the fads. The movie has all the ingredients to make a great bio movie, but the execution prevents it from rising to what it couldu0026#39;ve been.”