The Runaways (2010)

DIRECTOR: Floria Sigismondi
STUDIO: Apparition
STARRING: Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Michael Shannon
RATING: R
GENRE: Biography, Drama


GRADE: C



To be quite honest, I'd only heard of Joan Jett before I saw this movie. I didn't even realize there was a band called the Runaways. Honestly, what blew me away with this film was Kristen Stewart. She actually can do more than just one expression and tone. She had raw emotion, and many times I forgot it was that life-less actress who "portrays" Bella Swan.

The film is interesting enough, but Dakota Fanning's character, Cherie Currie, felt so underwritten and sloppy that I didn't understand her motivations. It must have been a problem with both the director and writers, because I felt lost in most scenes were she had any sort of break-down or lash out. Also, the film seems to end on an awkward note. There was no resolution of any deep sort. I don't want to spoil anything, but the last scene felt like it could have been more of an ending, then just a falling action. I understand that it's a film based on true events, but it's still a film that needs to follow the regular formula for story-telling.

Something to compliment this movie on is that it acurately portrayed everything during that time: women were hated for being anything but housewives, drugs were still a problem at that time. And the lighting of each scene felt like it was very well thought-out for each emotion of the characters.

A decent film, that you may like to watch if you feel the need to see Kristen Stewart or Dakota Fanning act fairly well.