The Runaways

Director: Floria Sigismondi
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning and Michael Shannon
Releasing in cinemas: 15 July 2010
Rated: MA 15+

The Runaways were the first all-girl rock band to top the charts, and they certainly typified the hard living, sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll ethos. This musical biopic of The Runaways, the breakthrough all-girl band from the late ‘70’s has a gritty and unusually hard-hitting edge missing from most music biopics.

The film is based on Neon Angel, the warts-and-all memoir of Cherie Currie, who, along with Joan Jett, was one of the founding members. The producers were unable to legally acquire the rights to tell the stories of the other members, so the focus is firmly on the dynamic and combustible relationship between Jett (who also serves as one of the executive producers) and Currie. Audiences wishing to explore another perspective on the band’s rise and fall could check out Edgeplay, a documentary directed by the former bassist Victory Tischler-Blue, that features interviews with all the band members with the exception of Jett.

The film is set in the late ‘70’s, an era of glam rock just as punk rock started to dominate the music scene. The band was influenced by the likes of Bowie and Suzie Quatro. Jett (Twilight’s Kristen Stewart) and Currie (Dakota Fanning) met on the streets of LA, and bonded over a mutual love of music and similarly troubled backgrounds.

The film traces their heady rise to fame and the eventual burnout and bitter breakup. Cherie’s precocious sexuality and messy personal life eventually became the public face of the band and caused a rift. Following the breakup, Jett went solo and scored a massive international hit with the anthemic 'I Love Rock 'n' Roll'.

The film is bursting with energy and a gritty visual style that suits the story. The film has been written and directed by Floria Sigismondi, who is better known for her innovative visual style on music videos for Bowie, Sheryl Crow and The Cure. Her distinctive approach is evident here in film’s visual style. The soundtrack is crammed with plenty of hits from The Runaways themselves, and more music from the era, which gives a strong sense of time and place.

The Runaways features a showy and aggressive performance from Stewart that captures Jett’s burning ambition. This is a bold choice from Stewart, who has chosen some edgy, independent films that enable her to move beyond the more passive and angst-ridden character she plays in the phenomenally successful Twilight series and explore some more challenging roles and darker emotions.

Audiences who remember the young and innocent Fanning’s earlier films may be shocked by the earthy and raw sexuality she exudes here. Cast largely against type Fanning delivers a flamboyant, raunchy and sexually provocative performance as the real wild child Currie. Both Stewart and Fanning do their own singing on a couple of numbers.

Michael Shannon (Revolution Road) often plays creepy characters, and he is quite sleazy here as Kim Fowler, the Svengali-like manager and producer of the band, who exploited their naivety and raw sexuality.

Greg King

Read more of Greg King's reviews at filmreviews.net.au