So I must admit, I hadn't heard anything about this movie until a friend told me about it. And his description of it wasn't anything about the film itself, just that "Little Dakota Fanning and the chick from Twilight totally have girl sex." Needless to say, I was intrigued. "That chick from Twilight" is of course none other than Kristen Stewart. I have seen all the Twilight movies (after all, I do have a vagina), but the only one that really showcased Stewart's acting ability was New Moon. The scenes where she was depressed because her 100-year-old virgin ran away from her were spine-chilling. I literally had goosebumps. Other than that, I haven't gotten many wow moments out of her throughout the series.
The Runaways is completely different. You can tell this girl put everything she had into this performance, and it shows. She even chopped all her hair off for the role, something that couldn't have gone over well with the suits at Summit. But Stewart doesn't really look like the kind of girl who gives a shit about what other people think anyway.
Anywho, onto the movie. Basically, unless you were born in the 90s, you probably know who Joan Jett is. Badass rocker chick, totally unheard-of-ballsy for her time. In the 70s, there weren't girl bands, especially not girl rock bands. But, Joan knew what she wanted, and she went and got it. With the help of a creep of a manager, Kim Fowley (played by Michael Shannon, who by the way, plays Agent Van Alden on Boardwalk Empire, and he's a creeper there, too. I'm sensing a pattern here.), Joan grabs a rag-tag group of ladies who are willing to get beer bottles thrown at their heads on the way to success. Among Joan's newfound friends is none other than Cherie Currie, the 70s equivalent of Miley Cyrus and Lindsey Lohan put together. That's in terms of crazy, not talent.
There is a lot of sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll. But after all, this was the 1970s. Things weren't as they are now. There weren't responsible chaperones on the tours these girls went on. There wasn't anybody watching them, telling them, "Don't take that pill, you need to play a show in 15 minutes." They had complete freedom, and, being teenage girls, there was a lot they felt they needed to experience.
Dakota Fanning puts on a memorable performance as always. We all know how talented this girl is, but holy shit. I've never seen her in anything so dark, so serious, but she did an excellent job. There was an extremely disturbing scene where she trades sexual favors for drugs, which made me feel completely dirty to watch. This is little Dakota Fanning on my screen here. I've watched her grow up since I Am Sam. However, as Cherie Currie, she dresses sexy and dances provocatively and sleeps with tons of people and does all sorts of drugs. This is definitely not the Dakota Fanning I remember. But, they all have to grow up sometime.
Together, Stewart and Fanning have great chemistry. Either they are just the best actresses in the world, or these two are friends in real life. They played off each other so well and they were a perfect pairing for Jett and Currie, who had a very deep and complex relationship. They also perform a lot of The Runaways songs in the film, which are surprisingly good.
ZOMG!!! PRON!!!!1!!1
Now, onto the smooch. Seriously, after hearing all the hoopla on this thing, actually seeing it on screen made me look at my TV puzzled and say, "That was it?" I was expecting something much more hardcore than what was actually shown. To even think that was made out to be a big deal puzzles me. Don't get me wrong, it was hot. Completely sexy. But a big deal? No.
Throughout the film, you see the typical rise and fall of a rock band. Along the way though, is something you don't see in every run-of-the-mill movie based on a failed band. You actually start to care about the characters. You're praying that Cherie gets her shit together, even though history tells you she doesn't, because her talent is something that needs to be shared with the world. And honestly, by the end of the movie, it's heartbreaking to see her working a menial job. You see Joan, who has this badass exterior, but actually has a heart and seemingly only cares for two things in the world: her music and Cherie.
Now, as much as I liked the film, there are some flaws. The only backstory you receive is of Cherie Currie. Apparently Joan and the rest of the girls appeared from nothing, and therefore had no attachments to concern themselves with. There are snarky, off-hand comments from Joan about her father, but they don't really tell you much. The script seems to cover up its holes with gratuitous use of the word "fuck" and its various uses. But the character performances more than make up for it. Stewart and Fanning brought their A-game for this one, folks.
This movie surprised me,which I like to think is difficult to do. But it was surprising in the best possible way, which is saying a lot. Stewart and Fanning work together beautifully, Shannon creeps me out as usual, and I dusted off my Joan Jett playlist on my iPod. Everybody wins in this film. I loved it, and you should definitely give it a shot.
8 out of 10
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