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THE RUNAWAYS Floria Sigismondi Starring Kristen Stewart Dakota Fanning Michael Shannon I'm going to hate this review. I watched this film, thoroughly enjoyed it and appreciated the performances and overall directional helming throughout. But I can't really say that.. not without groaning, slapping my forehead repeatedly and muttering "just the same shit over and over" to myself. You see, a biopic film about the lives of any artist or band (any worth recalling) is going to be almost exactly the same every time and as such, all I have to look forward to are a handful of gripping performances in a story that feels hollow and incomplete. So, I'll write my review but subsequently it will be lacking and I will hate it. For the majority of audiences, 1975 all-girl rock band, The Runaways, are going to be unknown; as will their music and their story. They may, however, know Joan Jett - if only because of her I Love Rock n Roll cover or Bad Reputation - and will probably spend the whole film waiting for the band to dissolve so they can get to the 80's solo stuff they remember. For legal reasons or personal disputes, the film primarily focuses on Jett's [Stewart] formation of the band and Cherie Currie [Fanning] battling with the lead singer spotlight, her semi-dysfunctional home life (I say semi because when compared to Jett's it seems to pale somewhat) and finally drug addiction. Ultimately, the story of The Runaways is one we've all seen before: young band quickly rises to fame, sex drugs and alcohol run rampant, finally band suffers under the weight of its own toxicity and tears apart at the seams. As with all biopics, the lead performances - namely that of Stewart, Fanning and Michael Shannon as the band's eccentric manager, Kim Fowley - are extremely praiseworthy and justify the ticket price but with such strong leads, each supporting character gets passed over in favour of predictable cardboard cut-outs. The accompanying music and production design are equally impressive, as are the various elements in place to maintain the period-specific feel. The film's biggest weakness, however, is the pacing issues ranging from frantic drug-addled flashcuts to long, drawn-out scenes of sobriety. I understand the reason for it and the overall immersive quality it is designed to imbue but it feels like riding a bike down a path only to have the bike turn into a baguette every ten metres. But as I stated at the start of this review, all the same compliments and all the same flaws crop up: captures the energy and frustration but fails to maintain it as we're treated to the same old closure finale and 'where are they now' title cards; amazing lead performances but poorly developed supporting roles; great music but covered by actors that can only achieve reasonable imitation; plenty of drug-addled escapades but all too quickly resolved with the power of the rehab montage. I could literally copy and paste this review, changing the title to whatever artist/band the film featured but to be fair, that's how the music industry worked. The events weren't original or groundbreaking, the music was and for that reason, these stories will always be well-shot, entertaining stories with brilliant lead performances and very little else. Which, if you ask me, is a damned shame because underneath all the predictable bullshit and formulaic developments is a pretty interesting story. Release Date: 10th September 2010 The Scene To Look Out For: For some reason the one moment that sticks out in my mind was shortly after Cherie walked out on the band while recording an album. Kim retreats into the sound booth and insults the girls before Joan Jett furiously tears apart the studio, flinging bottles against the wall, all the while screaming, "Fuck you!" Not only for the violence behind the potential music in years to come but for the desperate look in Jett's eye as she remembers the life she may have to return to. Notable Characters: Naturally, it's very difficult to pick between the three prime performances - simply for the fact that each actor embodies their target so completely - but the most memorable performance is probably the outrageous Kim Fowley. Michael Shannon's performance is possibly a little more toned-down than his real-life counterpart but he still manages to prove his head turning performance in Revolutionary Road was not a one-off. Highlighted Quote: "I’m glad they turned on me, it shows spirit. If I'm training a wild dog and the dog bites my hand, I know I've trained him well... my hand is made of iron" In A Few Words: "A very entertaining story, extremely well acted but suffers in the same way all musical biopics do. There's not a great deal wrong with this film but The Runaways lack of originality fails to set it apart from others in its genre" Total Score: 
6/10Matthew Stogdon |
