Gala
European Premier
Floria Sigismondi/ USA 2010/ 107 min/ tbc
Don’t you just love a rock biopic? Close cousin of the roc doc, it satisfies our curiosity for the private life of a band, and abiding fascination with the clichés of the rock and roll lifestyle. Of course not all rock biopics are born equal (the worst ones can be found on Channel 5 and mainly feature Buddy Holly) but Floria Sigismondi’s The Runaways takes a confident shot and does a fine job of it.
Focussing heavily on the band’s creator Joan Jett, and its charismatic if unstable singer Cherie Currie, the film has been accused of ignoring the other band members and reinventing history. But that focus makes for a much sharper film, and well, whoever cared about the drummer and the bassist anyway? The film gets off to a slightly shaky start due in part to a not all together convincing twitchy performance from Kristin Stewart (something to make up for the lack of hair flicking perhaps) but the film soon gets into its stride with great performances from Dakota Fanning as Cherie, and Michael Shannon as Kim Fowley, the bands sleazy svengali manager. There are problems with the passage of time- i.e. there doesn’t seem to be one, but the film really triumphs at capturing the excitement and freshness of a real rock phenomenon, and the music, sung and performed by Stewart and Fanning is fantastic. Curries descent in to drugs is nicely done, her sense of alienation and displacement neatly symbolised by her silver alien suit. But does The Runaways pass the ultimate litmus test for a good rock biopic, does it make you want to be in a band? Well, check that one out for yourself, but I’m writing this review in silver platforms and cranking up the amp.
Showing @ Cineworld 20th June 20:00 and 21st June 19.00