Movie Review - 'The Runaways'

The Runaways Starring Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, and Michael Shannon Directed by Floria Sigismondi Rated R

The Runaways is rock n’ roll defanged. It is certainly a story worth telling – the inauspicious beginnings and sudden end of one of the first all-girl rock bands – but it loses itself in the ephemera. While it might be true that family issues and drugs kept lead singer Cherie Currie from becoming the rock star she could be, The Runaways doesn't commit to that idea fully enough, making anything other than a scant inclusion worth our time. But that's not an isolated problem, unfortunately. The band had five members, but their depictions are hardly democratic. Joan Jett went on to become, well, Joan Jett, and she’s one of the producers of this biopic as well as the band's co-founder. Obviously, she's going to have a large role. Currie's presence should also be strong. It was her departure from the group that really ended the party. But drummer Sandy West (Stella Maeve) is heard from only rarely, lead guitarist Lita Ford (Scout Taylor-Compton) makes waves in one scene, and the bassist (Alia Shawkat) isn't even the real bassist. Or a real bassist. The band's real, but they invented a musician, presumably to avoid another sub-plot altogether: The band's original bass player was also the singer prior to Currie's arrival and went on to join The Bangles. But that would destroy the myth that these five girls came together immediately and soared to the top. That they soared to the top is also a myth, but to five teenage girls, it probably had to seem that way, particularly when they went to Japan, where a lot of American rock acts found success while US charts barely paid attention. It's while the Runaways are making music that the film shows any life at all. Director Floria Sigismondi has a music video background, which is probably why the film only gains a pulse when songs are playing, but those moments are actually quite good.

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Video - Half a Dozen Clips from 'The Runaways'

First things first: The Runaways isn't opening nationwide on March 19th anymore. Appararition (Sony) didn't do a great job of promoting that fact (or promoting that it was never a wide release to begin with, if that's the case), but the film, which hits SXSW next week, will apparently hit a few cities next weekend and then will roll out across the country on April 9th. It's not as crowded a weekend, and I guess that's the reason for the slight nudge. Plus, if the early reviews are good, it will build some anticipation for the film.

These clips might, too. I had been wondering if Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart would be performing their tunes or if they'd just lip synch. Some of the songs on the soundtrack are the actors, and some are the original Runaways, but if you go to the film's official site, that's Fanning wailing on "Cherry Bomb," and it's not half bad. I actually recommend it. And here are six clips from the movie, some of which feature performances, while others help set up the narrative a bit. Based on these brief snippets, it looks like Kristen Stewart may be doing her nervous wallflower thing a bit too much while Dakota seems to be ramping it up a lot more.

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New Longer Trailer for Rock Bio-pic 'The Runaways'

Before The Runaways opens in a couple of weeks, we'll start hearing some verdicts about how good it is (or isn't). The film will play the SXSW Film Festival beginning next week, so those reviews will be upon us in very short order.

There are two things I'll be looking for: Can Dakota Fanning shrug off ten years of little girl roles in one fell swoop and can Kristen Stewart convert the Twihards to watch her in something else? The first one seems very likely to me. Fanning has always been more mature than her years and as I Am Sam proved when she was six years old, she has an instinct for acting that just can't be directed or taught. So if the script works, she'll probably be right on point. I'm less confident about Stewart's drawing power, but she'll certainly open the gates for a few more viewers than it would get otherwise. Here's a new trailer for The Runaways, the first full-length one we've seen. There's more to it, as well, and yet again, I think this film looks pretty damn good. Can't say enough about the energy it seems to capture. I hope the movie feels as fast-paced and aggressive as the trailers do.

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Fanning and Stewart in New 'Runaways' Commercial

The rock bio-pic The Runaways looks like it might have the goods. There's a new TV spot for it below, and I think it does what the other materials for it have done so well to this point: It shows off a brash, young energy that fits with the legendary all-girl group from the 1970s.

You probably already know that it stars New Moon castmates Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning, and while it's a pretty natural progression for Stewart to play Joan Jett, Dakota Fanning as the extroverted lead singer Cherie Curie is more than a few years of maturity away from Dreamer and Charlotte's Web. So she could be leaving that little girl phase all behind her. So take a look at the latest commercial and, if you're so inclined, stay updated on the film through its new Twitter page.

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New Images and Poster for 'The Runaways'

A ton of new images and a rockin' new "Cherry Bomb"-inspired poster (from MTV) have debuted just in time for The Runaways premiere at Sundance. As you know, it's the story of the all-girl band from the 70s that launched the careers of Joan Jett and Lita Ford, but it's primarily concerned with Jett (Kristen Stewart, or annoyingly, K-Stew) and lead singer Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning). Here's what they look like - with the rest of the band and producer/songwriter Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon) - all decked out in their Ford administraion best:

While I wouldn't describe myself as excited about this movie - because it now happens so rarely (occupational hazard after a while) - I wouldn't say I'm anti-Kristen Stewart, although I find it a shame she's best known for her worst acting. I've always admired Dakota Fanning, and Joan Jett has kicked major ass for over 30 years. So, in short, I may have higher hopes for this than some of you. Knowing the story and knowing the principals, I think there's definitely a movie here, and the casting is right on target. The Runaways storms Park City on Sunday, or so I read, and we'll get the reactions for you if you're interested. In the meantime, more photos (click to enlarge) and the tackily watermarked poster, which looks straight outta '75.

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