The Runaways

Once upon a time, there was this rock band of teen girls called The Runaways. Its most famous people were named Joan Jett and Cherie Currie. They had a good run, but then the band ended. And now, it’s a movie.

The Runaways is the first movie from music video director Floria Sigismondi, who also wrote the movie based on Cherie Currie’s memoirs. And I say this is an awesome first feature.

The film opens up by telling us about Cherie (Dakota Fanning) and Joan (Kristen Stewart) before the band was even thought up. Cherie, along with her twin Marie is the good girl with a drunken stepdad and an overbearing mom. Joan, meanwhile, is already into sex, drugs and rock’n’roll.

Then Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon), an eccentric record producer, comes along. Inspired by Joan’s suggestions, he decides to make an all-girl rock band. He then gets Cherie to join, and then a few others come along, and The Runaways is born.

Amongst the main cast, the best notice should go to Michael Shannon, who made such a potential slime ball so magnificent at the same time. As the main Runaways, Dakota and Kristen make the audience care about their characters’ ordeals. These main three fully realize their characters for their audience.

One of the best scenes is when Fowley improvises the band’s first hit, “Cherry Bomb.” Once realized on screen, this tune and the film’s other music makes for great listening to say the least.

If there’s a problem with the movie, it’s that the other three runaways aren’t that noticeable. But that’s not a terminally fatal detriment; if you can find it at your local Art House, give it a try.