Movie Review--'The Runaways'

Running Time: 1 hour, 42 minutes
Rating: R (language, drug use, sexual content)

Related discs: Soundtrack in stores March 23, "Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Greatest Hits," a two-disc compilation was released March 9 in which 8 songs appear in the film.
Related book: "Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway," by Cherie Currie

Release date: March 19, opened in Philadelphia and New York
Nationwide release: April 9

If you are buying a ticket hoping to see a biopic or concert flick and learn a little about this rock star icon, Joan Jett, you will be in for a surprise. And, I must add, disappointment. Pardon me, but I just happen to be a die-hard lover of biopics and documentaries, which this film is neither. Once you can get past that, the movie does have appeal, just from a different direction. Here was an opportunity to acquaint audiences with ground-breaking, history making female musicians, keeping in mind that they were rocking a decade after the Beatles, during disco. Instead, with this movie, you get sound bites, glimpses, and glitter of a hardcore lifestyle filled with drug abuse, casual sex, self-indulgence, and yes, rock n' roll, all done by teens under the age of 18, with the exception of one (only one member of the band was over 18).

The movie moves fast, skimming the surface instead of going in deep and basically held together by the performances of three main characters: Cherie Currie, played by Dakota Fanning, Joan Jett, played by Kristen Stewart, and bullying Svengali manager Kim Fowley, played by Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road). Cherie Currie gets most of the camera's attention and story line as the film is based on her book. While we learn about her dysfunctional home life we don't get any information about Jett, or any of the other band members, for that matter.

Scenes change, starting from the beginning, when Jett meets sadistic music producer and impresario-of-sorts Kim Fowley and mentions she plays electric guitar and wants to start an all girl band. He seizes the opportunity, and introduces her to female drummer, Sandy West. Soon, you are in a trailer in the San Fernando Valley and Fowley is writing the group's first song, "Cherry Bomb." On to Cleveland, where they somehow sign a record deal. Then, they are in Tokyo, getting high and enjoying sake and coke. Fowley exploits these girls all he can, creating sexy, rebellious, but ballsy punk rockers, concentrating on strutting their stuff on stage and making the music secondary. You come away from this movie wanting more: What is Joan Jett's story? What ever happen to Currie?

Only the performances can keep you in your seat. Dakota Fanning captures Cherie's downward spiral from sweetness and innocence to a drugging, foul-mouthed sexpot a la Brigitte Bardot style. Kristen Stewart is a convincing Jett, chilled and laid-back with a quiet fire and swagger she unleashes on stage. Academy Award nominee Michael Shannon puts in a solid performance as their controlling manager. You might like the retro-style 70's period and the cool fashions with their platform boots, mini-skirts, and Farrah Fawcett hair. Remember the group Parliament Funkadelic and their front man, George Clinton? Those were the days.

At the conclusion of the picture, we learn that Jett continues to rock in the music world. Currie does not. That's about all we know. Too many gaps and too much missing information. When you leave the theatre you will have to go to the library, or on-line to get the rest. The movie never focuses on guitarist Lita Ford, another oversight in my opinion, who went on to a successful solo career. (She released a disc, "Wicked Wonderland, " last October, and will be gigging in Vegas in April). Elvis Presley's granddaughter, Riley Keough, plays Currie's sister, Marie, who happened to be her twin, but it was never really brought out in the movie. Drummer Sandy West died of lung cancer in 2006 at 47 years old. I like what reviewer Sara Vilkomerson of the New York Observer wrote: "This movie hints at a really fascinating story but just barely scratches at its glittery surface." Couldn't have said it better, myself. On a scale from one to ten, I give it a six.

Rhonda Manning, www.californiachronicle.com, www.usatoday.com. AssociatedContent.