Movies.ie

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• Currently 3/5 Stars.

Movies.ie Critic Review

Hollywood, 1975, and, like any hot-blooded young teen, Joan Marie Larkin (Stewart) reckons it's time she changed her name (to Joan Jett), and started a band. So she approaches budding rock entrepreneur Kim Fowley (Shannon), who hooks Joan up with drummer Sandy West (Maeve), the two budding rock stars soon spotting blonde cutie Cherie Curie (Fanning) at a disco. Fowley takes the Colonel Tom Parker approach to band management, and is soon touting his young female rockers as mad, bad and dangerous-to-know jailbait (Cherie was only 15 when the band started). Which gets them a record contract, and a lot of publicity. But not a lot of hits. And so the fighting starts.

THE VERDICT: Perhaps handled by a stronger film company, this could have been one of the year's biggest, and coolest, movies. Here you have two hot young actresses (Stewart and Fanning) playing the founders of a cartoon all-girl rock band that managed to rock a few joints and break a few hearts during the punk boom of the mid-1970s before imploding in acrimony, bad management and naff-all royalties. How could it fail? Check the distribution credits.

Director Floria Sigismondi lets the small details do the talking here, the Runaways story a fascinating flash in the pan that, even then, wasn't so much about the music as the intoxicating, vulnerable, exploited girl power up on stage. The poster features a cherry suspended against a black background? Subtle.

Review By Paul Byrne

• Avg User rating
• Currently 3/5 Stars.

User Reviews

• • Currently 3/5 Stars.

  asho87

  

  Surprisingly very good, well worth a watch. :)

• • Currently 3/5 Stars.

  vu1999uk

  

  Good solid, if somewhat umremarkable music biopic. I just don'e think the story was interesting wnough to begin with to warrant a movie. Gets a third star for the great performances from the two leads, in particular Kristen Stewart who is excellent.

• • Currently 3/5 Stars.

  kellyhand1

  

• • Currently 4/5 Stars.

  monika_fan

  

  Very good film showing 80ties, and two main characters were brilliant

• • Currently 4/5 Stars.

  antomaguire

  

  really enjoyed this

• • Currently 3/5 Stars.

  razorblade_kiss

  

  A typical rise-and-fall story with some good acting from the cast but the stand out for me would be the scene stealing Michael Shannon as the band's Svengali, Kim Fowley.

• • Currently 1/5 Stars.

  polkadotts

  

• • Currently 3/5 Stars.

  peteclarke

  

  I definitely enjoyed this more than I expected to. Stewart is born to play Joan Jett. Some of the scenes made me feel more than a little uncomfortable - as far as I've read Fanning was only 15 when this was filmed. Not a terrible film but not an overly new or interesting story. Maybe it's a grrrl thing?!

• • Currently 4/5 Stars.

  WildRose86

  

  Brilliant edgy rock 'n' roll flick. Wasn't expecting much, but then bam, throw in some sexy chicks, good music, drink, drugs and you got the story of The Runaways. Though I found the characters a little flat at the same time, almost trying too hard to be tough, rock chicks. Still enjoyable!

• • Currently 4/5 Stars.

  mell61

  

  Excellent movie,Dakota Fanning is superb as Cherie, its difficult to believe she's only 15 when making this movie. It invokes the 70's brilliantly, with an excellent soundtrack.

• • Currently 4/5 Stars.

  gmiskelly

  

  Fanning and Stewart are excellent....but michael shannon just blew them out of the water. An interesting story well told well directed and with some excellent tunes

• • Currently 5/5 Stars.

  ssconnolly

  

  Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning. Ask someone who they think should portray Joan Jett and Cherie Curie in a film about legendary 1970's all girl rock band The Runaways these two actresses would probably be the last who come to mind. Stewart is best known for her dull displays in Twilight and Fanning has simply never given a performance as a woman. But these two were cast and many film scholars and enthusiasts were quick to speak out against the casting. But both Fanning and Stewart are phenomenal and make The Runaways one of the best films of this year. The film first briefly shows the lived of Jett and Curie before the music. Curie a rebellious young teen who wants to escape her dysfunctional home life, and Jett also a rebellious young teen who wants to start the worlds first ever all female band. She pitches her idea to producer Kim Fowley and he sets her up with a band of like-minded gals. Then Curie is recruited as the bands lead singer, giving them the desired look, voice and attitude. And much to their surprise they do exactly what they hoped, they make it as the worlds first all girl rock band and start a world tour. But the innocence of these 15 year old rockers is tested as they live a lifestyle full of sex, drugs, drink and music. If there are any fans of The Runaways reading this then it's important to note that this is not the essential Runaways biopic that many are expecting. In fact this is very much the Cherie Curie show. She is the only member of the band of which we actually learn something. We see her dysfunctional home life, her alcoholic father and even when the band begin to experience the dangers of a life on the road it still remains focused solely on Curie. Jett gets some of the screen time but we learn virtually nothing about the remaining members of the band. At first it did seem to be focusing on Jett before abruptly deciding Currie is where the excitement lies. Moving along at the same pace as its electrifying soundtrack The Runaways never gets dragged down and stays upbeat throughout. It's got some clichés such as the montage of headlines swirling on screen when they got popular. But apart from that one the clichés can be excused as this is the kind of life story from which some of these clichés originated. The most striking thing about this film is without question how incredibly sexy it is. Fanning sings on stage in skimpy costumes which considering her age brinks on the inappropriate. And that isn't the end of it. Jett teaches bandmate Sandy West how to masturbate to Farrah Fawcett, Fowley has sex with a woman while on the phone to Jett, Curie has sex in her dressing room and takes part in some erotic Japanese photo-shoots. But I guess it was all effective as I loved the film, want to listen to more of their songs and Fannings rendition of Cherry Bomb stuck with me for days. Like many of this years films, The Runaways wouldn't be nearly as good if not for the magnificent cast performances. Since Twilight I've heard plenty of people moaning about Stewart and calling her a useless actress. But the first time I ever saw her was in the amazing Into The Wild so I always told these people that she has a great performance in her. And although I doubt this will be her defining film this is the kind of thing I knew she was capable of. She may have been just a little too shy and awkward in her movement to play Joan Jett of all people but I don't mean to take anything away from her display, it was brilliant. Michael Shannon also features as the man who turned The Runaways into stars, Kim Fowley. Shannon has been doing a great job in Hollywood in past years with memorable roles in hit films like Revolutionary Road and the recent remake of Bad Lieutenant. And here he gives another fantastic display as Fowley, a music producer and the epitome of perversity. He turns the band into rock-stars and Curie into Cherry bomb the 'Jailbait'. He steals a lot of the films scenes, for example the one in which they write hit song Cherry bomb on the spot and when he invites some guys into their rehearsal trailer to throw bottled, cans and shit at them to prepare them for live performances. But it's Fanning who outright picks up the film, slips it in her pocket and walks away with it. She gives one of the finest displays I've seen in a long time. She is breathtakingly brilliant and I would be shocked if, even though its a while away, if she fails to pick up at least an Oscar nomination for her stunning portrayal of Curie. Her performance is pitch perfect from her delivery of dialogue and interaction with other characters to her seemingly unimportant gestures and facial expressions. I've always liked Fanning as an actress but she's always been in kids roles and I was afraid this would be too big for her. But her first display as a woman is a truly exceptional one. She is entirely believable as Curie and if there ever is a film about The Runaways as a group, she's left some big boots to fill. So all in all The Runaways for me was one of this year finest films, thanks mostly due to the outstanding displays. I was never sure if Fanning would keep her career going after all her kiddie roles but if she doesn't become a successful actress then I don't know who ever will. and the support cast, including Shannon and Stewart bring a lot to the film too. I'll admit right now I never really listened to The Runaways but now I think I'll give them a chance. The film is engaging, beautifully filmed, full of life and more than worth the watch. There have been a few great film this year already but this is first which I think has a shot at next years Academy Awards.

• • Currently 5/5 Stars.

  laume

  

  girls show real rock and roll..

• • Currently 5/5 Stars.

  Jenfiction

  

  Really enjoyed this! Entertaining, very good acting and a great representation of the rock and roll lifestyle.

• • Currently 5/5 Stars.

  SINEAD

  

  Amazing. This movie should be watched by everyone who loves rock and roll and sexy girls.