The Runaways

In the autobiographical narrative “The Runaways” audiences become inundated with a firsthand perspective of 70’s alt-rock band The Runaways, which is responsible for launching the careers of Joan Jett and Cherrie Currie. Written for the screen and directed by Floria Sigismondi, the rock and roll “The Runaways” is considerably profound. Filled with indisputable realism the film looks great and progresses to be one of the more unique music autobiographies produced. Helping it tremendously were its performances particularly from those by Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett; Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie and Michael Shannon as Kim Fowley, the music producer responsible for producing and launching The Runaways.

“The Runaways” is greatly enjoyable, and will particularly enjoyed by music enthusiasts but dissimilar from other music dramas the film doesn’t fully grasp the relentlessness of the bands problems. Similar to those more recent music dramas “Walk the Line” and “Ray” “The Runaways” doesn’t show the cause and effect reasoning for why the band in question didn’t work. In the film audiences are to assume it was mere jealousy that led the band to fall apart. The submission of drugs, which seems to be a common theme in music drams, comes into play early on in the film. This theme, though probably true in the reality of “The Runaways” not working was overplayed too much even in this musical drama fixture.

This band, which inspired the film, The Runaways were an interesting musical number to document and the analysis executed with this motion-picture was very out of the ordinary. The bands rise and acclaim was very organic and ultimately the product of 70’s feminism which also made the film uniformly signature. This aspect of the films story, though underlying, I personally believed was the best part and it by and large wasn’t at all explored as much as it could’ve been. Had it been I must say the film would’ve work on a more fixating and gratifying level.

Spearheaded by standout performances and a complementary analysis of 70s woman’s rights “The Runaways” better plays as an analysis of a band that won and lost in the competitive game of fame and fortune. Certainly nowhere as good as it could’ve been “The Runaways” is a generally compelling, yet flawed music experience.