The Runaways review

I thought it fairly impossible for me to actually be like 'hey that Kristen Stewart ain't so bad'. In fact for a while I was putting her in the boat as Ashton Kutcher, probably my favorite actor to rag on for the countless film choices he's made which range pretty much from lackluster (like 'Bobby') to down and out shit (which is about about 95% of his filmography). I remember the days before her snarling ass went into the world of 'Twilight' and gave me another reason to dislike the way classical horror creatures were being made in today's light; back when she was in David Fincher's taunt thriller 'Panic Room' opposite Jodie Foster, Jared Leto, Dwight Yoakam and of course the always awesome Forest Whittaker. After that it was just major press and premieres where she constantly appeared to never give a shit about all that she had become for really just being a shell of a character created in crappy books and turned into crappy movies; which in turn makes it where acting isn't that much of a concern thus basically being a mannequin might work out for you.

However... I am a firm believer that given the right circumstances and the right material that people can stand out and prove that they've got something worth while and 'The Runaways' is that for Stewart. Here is a rock movie, bio-pic that's filled with sex, drugs and rock n' roll slapped together with a touch of 70's grit, 70's glam and style that touches on work that we saw from Stone in the 90's or Scorsese in the 80's. Seriously after this I'll be shocked if director Floria Sigismondi isn't getting hardcore offers for her talents and this being her first feature film makes it all the more impressive. Not to be outdone however is Dakota Fanning who at age 15 has decided to start taking on smarter and in turn harder roles. She is the Cherie Currie to Stewart's Joan Jett (a favorite of mine during that 7th grade thru 10th grade exploration into 60's, 70's and 80's rock music).

The way the two actresses work is fantastic because it never feels like we're watching a regular teen girls gone bad flick constantly or we're seeing a straight as an arrow band film. Stewart is perfect for Joan Jett because of her snarls, her often straight faced demeanor and that little bit of a fuck you attitude. The few freak out scenes she has she owns pretty damn well because they aren't over the top and you can see it boiling up nicely. Fanning's Currie is kind of that character who came from the middle ground. She wasn't a rebel, but she wasn't a priss. She had that same fuck you attitude but in a different package as Jett and as their flamboyant manager Kim Fowley played by the seriously always more than fucking great Michael Shannon could see, that was what this band needed. Sex appeal, but the attitude that they could do the same thing men could on stage and then some. And that they did.

There are moments of complete music zen in the film where I was gone further into the picture then I ever expected. This is again to the credit of Sigismondi who displayed great skill in not over directing or over editing certain pieces of the film. There is a slower drift during even the fastest of songs that lets the style wash over you and bring you in. Said style is something that was very common with 70's movies of all types. There was that dynamic stylization of things that reminded you that hey, you're watching a movie and yet still managed to captivate the viewer (see Scorsese's 'New York, New York' and you'll see some fine examples). Then of course we come to the sex and drug use which is always when the movie gets down and dirty and that it does! From snorting coke in the bathroom of a plane landing in Japan, to crushing pills with platform shoes backstage and snorting it off the ground; tis rock n' roll excess at it's finest!

The only thing that probably holds back "The Runaways" from complete and utter perfection (for me at least) is that parts in the final act seem to zip by and really the star of the story is Currie and Fanning with Stewart and Jett being... ehhh... not quite a supporting character, but not quite the star either and when the final act kicks in to full gear we only briefly touch on Jett's rise after The Runaways disbanded and the creation of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. Honestly I wish we could've gotten hardcore into that as well, but as noted in the credits the film is based on the book by Currie, so perhaps it was always more about her than the band or Joan Jett. Regardless of that... 'The Runaways' is a damn good picture and one of the best of the spring. In fact I like it so much that I'm willing to forgive Stewart for the horrible mistake of actually being in 'Twilight' and now apart of that saga. Good business move? Absolutely. Good movie choice? NO. However if she can start picking roles that are different and work for her as this did... well... she might actually be something noteworthy. As for Fanning... well shit isn't she already noteworthy?