DIRECTOR: Floria SigismondiSTARRING: Dakota Fanning, Kristen Stewart
This was the sort of film that I assumed would be unremarkable except for the performances of its stars. Most music biopics follow generally the same plot, and this one was no exception. It did, however, prep Dakota Fanning for her transition into becoming grown-up actor, and prove that Kristen Stewart is capable of acting without stammering her lines and gnawing her lip off (as seen in Twilight). Who would have thought?
The Runaways begins in 1975, when fifteen-year-old Cherie Currie (Fanning) is working a dead-end job at the local Pup n’ Fries with her responsible twin sister, Marie. To escape having to deal with a narcissistic mother and an alcoholic father, Cherie begins her descent into rebellion by chopping off her hair and painting her face Bowie style. Meanwhile, Joan Jett (Stewart) is trying to make her dreams of rock n’ roll a reality by meeting with record producer Kim Fowley, an eccentric man who loves her idea for an all-girl rock band but feels there’s something missing — he wants a Brigitte Bardot type for the lead. Enter Cherie, and the ball gets rolling faster than the girls could have imagined.
What makes The Runaways a good film is that it really gives the audience a look into a different time, showing the 70’s for what it was. The costumes are dead-on and the soundtrack is brilliant (albeit mostly lifted from one of my favorite films, Velvet Goldmine). We are able to get the sense of these girls throwing themselves into this business without understanding the consequences. From the beginning they are practically set up to self-destruct; Fowley sees the girls as commodities, and he only recognizes them according to how they fit the bill: Cherie is the jailbait, Joan is the ass-kicker, and the wilder they get the better they will sell. Any sense of responsibility is thrown out the window in favor of a lifestyle none of them are ready for or can even handle.
The leads were fairly remarkable in capturing the truth of their roles, getting down their mannerisms and attitudes to a tee. All throughout the film I couldn’t help but feel awkward watching Dakota Fanning strut around in next to nothing and put herself out there — what happened to the cute little girl from I Am Sam? Still, there seemed to be no hesitation on her part, especially during scenes that were particularly inappropriate for a girl her age. As mentioned above, Kristen Stewart was Joan Jett, but a version of her that I didn’t expect: along with the hard-edged attitude was dedication and vulnerability. She seemed to be the heart and soul of the band, since she was the only one truly invested in the desire to make music and live rock n’ roll.
I was generally impressed with The Runaways, more than I expected to be. I knew it could either be very good or absolutely dismal, and I’m happy to say it was the former. Not necessarily a new or unique take on the musician biopic genre, but still a great effort from Floria Sigismondi, whose previous work mostly includes music videos (such as Marilyn Manson’s The Beautiful People). Unfortunately my viewing experience was disrupted by a woman who thought that everything was hysterically, laugh-out-loud funny when it wasn’t; but maybe you will get lucky and be able to appreciate it for what it is.
FINAL GRADE: B+
This was the sort of film that I assumed would be unremarkable except for the performances of its stars. Most music biopics follow generally the same plot, and this one was no exception. It did, however, prep Dakota Fanning for her transition into becoming grown-up actor, and prove that Kristen Stewart is capable of acting without stammering her lines and gnawing her lip off (as seen in Twilight). Who would have thought?
The Runaways begins in 1975, when fifteen-year-old Cherie Currie (Fanning) is working a dead-end job at the local Pup n’ Fries with her responsible twin sister, Marie. To escape having to deal with a narcissistic mother and an alcoholic father, Cherie begins her descent into rebellion by chopping off her hair and painting her face Bowie style. Meanwhile, Joan Jett (Stewart) is trying to make her dreams of rock n’ roll a reality by meeting with record producer Kim Fowley, an eccentric man who loves her idea for an all-girl rock band but feels there’s something missing — he wants a Brigitte Bardot type for the lead. Enter Cherie, and the ball gets rolling faster than the girls could have imagined.
What makes The Runaways a good film is that it really gives the audience a look into a different time, showing the 70’s for what it was. The costumes are dead-on and the soundtrack is brilliant (albeit mostly lifted from one of my favorite films, Velvet Goldmine). We are able to get the sense of these girls throwing themselves into this business without understanding the consequences. From the beginning they are practically set up to self-destruct; Fowley sees the girls as commodities, and he only recognizes them according to how they fit the bill: Cherie is the jailbait, Joan is the ass-kicker, and the wilder they get the better they will sell. Any sense of responsibility is thrown out the window in favor of a lifestyle none of them are ready for or can even handle.
The leads were fairly remarkable in capturing the truth of their roles, getting down their mannerisms and attitudes to a tee. All throughout the film I couldn’t help but feel awkward watching Dakota Fanning strut around in next to nothing and put herself out there — what happened to the cute little girl from I Am Sam? Still, there seemed to be no hesitation on her part, especially during scenes that were particularly inappropriate for a girl her age. As mentioned above, Kristen Stewart was Joan Jett, but a version of her that I didn’t expect: along with the hard-edged attitude was dedication and vulnerability. She seemed to be the heart and soul of the band, since she was the only one truly invested in the desire to make music and live rock n’ roll.
I was generally impressed with The Runaways, more than I expected to be. I knew it could either be very good or absolutely dismal, and I’m happy to say it was the former. Not necessarily a new or unique take on the musician biopic genre, but still a great effort from Floria Sigismondi, whose previous work mostly includes music videos (such as Marilyn Manson’s The Beautiful People). Unfortunately my viewing experience was disrupted by a woman who thought that everything was hysterically, laugh-out-loud funny when it wasn’t; but maybe you will get lucky and be able to appreciate it for what it is.
FINAL GRADE: B+
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