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(More customer reviews)It seems movies about punk rock seem to get the experience right, like, Sid and Nancy, and The Runaways. The bio-pics of the 60's era musician's either focus on the addictions or the music, but punk era bio-pics of the band seem to get both right. Not only does The Runaways manage to tell the story of the band, but also manages to translate the existential experience of the times and the music.
The Runaways follows the myth of the band, The Runaways. Created by Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon) a long time Sunset Strip dissipate/denizen with record producer cards in his pocket he meets the teenaged Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) who wanted to start an all girl band. Fowley accommodates her by her introducing her to drummer Sandy West (Stella Maeve) and they go prowling L.A. clubs to find a Bridget Bardot type to front the band and discover the 15 year old Cherie Curry (Dakota Fanning). Fowley soon has them in a an abandoned trailer to practice as he whips them into shape with his "Rock `n' Roll boot camp." The irony in The Runaways was that the band was the creation of the band (like the Sex Pistols owing their existence to Malcom McLaren) both of whom understood the style over substance philosophy of self-promotion and controversy. When The Runaways started discovering themselves as artists they had to fight Fowley who treated them as a product and that he owned them, and they owed their success to him.
As the band climbs to rock stardom, the movie captures at first the freedom and victory the first flash that success provides. But in the story of Runaways front woman Cherie Currie, who truly lived up to the band's name in trying to escape and avoid her father's alcohol problems, the sins of the father are visited upon the daughter and Currie finds herself wrapped up in drugs and alcohol. Much has been made about Fanning playing a role that is so "adult," but she is the same age Currie was as she lived it. The Who sung of "girls of 15 and sexually knowing" life can add years of experience to a teenagers life and Rock 'n' Roll can accelerate that; you can see it on Fannings face towards the end of the movie washed up at 17 Currie could have been well on her way to making Jim Morrison's death seem that of an old man.
Stewart and Fanning both disappear into their roles. Stewart seems to inhabit Joan Jett, she has the look down, she sounds like Jett, she even has the "hunch" over the microphone that Jett has when singing and playing. Michael Shannon is decadently creepy as Fowley. The other members of The Runaways are set in the background, Sandy West is there so The Runaways can form, and Lita Ford (Scout Taylor-Compton) when they need a little internal dissent in the band, but the movie is based on Cherie Currie's autobiogrpahy Neon Angel, and focuses on hers and Jett's story.
I read some of the previous reviews of the movie and I found the movie much better than the reviews, it's a story that rocks!
DVD Bonus Features: The Runaways DVD has a couple of nice bonus features. A commentary with Joan Jett, Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning. Some times the commentary sounds like three girls sitting in the row in front of you talking, but during key scenes of the movie Jett adds a few remembrances' or tidbits on how close to reality the scene is to make it worthwhile. There's also a nice little making of documentary "Plugged In" that talks with all the principals and key members of the crew.
Click Here to see more reviews about: The Runaways (2010)
“I love Rock n Roll and I love this Movie!" - Jan Wahl, KCBS AM/FM and KRON-TV, San Francisco"Rock ‘n' roll fans of every gender and generation will identify with this." - A.O. Scott, THE NEW YORK TIMES“Stewart and Fanning have never been stronger." –Michael Phillips, CHICAGO TRIBUNE
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