“The Runaways” is a Rock n Roll Whirlwind That Lacks Depth

“The Runaways” is your typical rock n roll story because it focuses on a group of nobodies who become famous through their music.  Like the usual tales, at the height of the band’s fame, they let their new-found status go to their heads.  What sets this movie apart from the rest however is that this group was made up of young women at a time when rock n roll belonged almost exclusively to men.

Society frowned upon women acting tough and speaking aggressively about their sexuality during the 1970s.  Teenagers Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) and Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning) blazed a trail for young women in the late 1970s, forming the all-girl band The Runaways under the guidance of record producer Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon).  The Runaways showed people that women could play rock music and use their libido to enthrall fans just like men.

Director Floria Sigismondi does a thorough job of flashing you back to the 70s as a viewer, showing the decade in all its drug-addled, grungy glory.  You really feel like you’re part of the times in the wardrobe, the cars, and even in the interior decoration.  For these teenagers, the life on the road and the stresses of the rock star life are aptly conveyed in the grubby looking hotels they frequent.  The whirlwind speed at which the events in their lives happen is best expressed through the director’s Dutch angles and the spinning camera movements.

Whirlwind is probably the best word to describe the narrative structure of the film.  All of the events seem to happen in the blink of an eye with little time taken to explore the characters in-depth.  As the audience we are supposed to believe these girls have been thrust together because they are from broken homes, however the film pays more lip service to their broken homes than screen time, and as a result it’s hard to believe their situation.  Since there is also little time spent on how they bond as a group, it’s difficult to accept they belong to a screwed up family as Kristen Stewart’s Jett loosely refers to it.

As viewers we are supposed to believe that Joan Jett and Cherie Currie share a special relationship, one as the movie alludes, involves a sexual side.  The problem with accepting this though is that there’s a complete lack of chemistry between Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning.  Neither of them show an intimacy or understanding of the other that would  come from being so close.  As a result when the two experience tribulations and decide to part ways, it’s hard to empathize with them.

From the perspective of a rock n roll biopic, “The Runaways” keeps your attention through fun music and entertaining concert footage, but it lacks the depth in its story and characters to make it a fantastic movie.  Michael Shannon provides a stand out performance as the zany producer Kim Fowley, charming despite his erratic methods and his arrogance.  His presence helps bring up the film’s entertainment factor significantly.

My Grade: B