Quick Look: The Runaways (2010)

This is a great indie film and semi-biographical look about the all girl punk/rock band from the 70's.  It is also probably my favorite movie of actors Kristen Stewart (who plays Joan Jett), and Dakota Fanning (who plays Cherie Currie).  The Runaways is directed by Floria Sigismondi, and Joan Jett was one of the producers.

If Oliver Stone's The Doors was about psychedelic fun, glamour, and the 60's rock and roll lifestyle- The Runaways is 180 degrees opposite.  It looks and feels dirty and raw, and does a great job giving the audience a glimpse about how these teenage girls, pioneers in their genre, clawed their way through nasty clubs; were essentially exploited by their manager; and how eventually (and rather quickly) Cherie Currie succumbed to drug addiction and mental breakdown leading to the breakup of the band.

If there was one downside to this film, I would say that it spent too much time focused on Cherie and Joan and not enough time looking at the other members of the band, but the flip side to that is that Stewart and Fanning both did outstanding jobs in their roles.  Also, this is considered biographical, but some facts were glossed over a bit, the original bassist, Jackie Fox, refused to let her name be used.

This is a must see for fans of rock and roll history, fans of the band, and fans of these actors.  'R' rating is for language, sexual content, and drug use.