You hear that? That's the sound of hormones raging.

Rating: 5/10 (19 September 2010)

The Runaways is a biographical film about the 1970s all-girl rock band of the same name. The film was written and directed by Floria Sigismondi, who based the screenplay on the book Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway by the band's original lead vocalist Cherie Currie. It stars Dakota Fanning as Currie, Kristen Stewart as guitarist and vocalist Joan Jett, and Michael Shannon plays record producer and band manager Kim Fowley. The film charts the formation of the band in 1975, their rise in a male dominated music world, and their subsequent implosion.
For a few short years The Runaways kicked butt, breaking down the barriers in front of them, put up in a male dominated rock world, they paved the way for girl power to actually mean just that; some decades before the term became popular. However, as good as it is to see some recognition of the band on celluloid, Floria Sigismondi's movie is hardly an effective or enlightening piece. Choosing to focus mainly on the relationship between Jett & Currie, Sigismondi's intentions are perhaps understandable given the film is based on Currie's own book. But not only are the rest of the band passed over (so not really a Runaways film then), but Jett has next to no back story for us to work off. Which given that the time afforded Currie's burn out has been diluted (the powerful stuff in the book is absent), means the story isn't all that interesting. It may snapshot the era well, but this is no history of the band at all.
The film also suffers greatly for its by the numbers formula. Band gets together, find their musical mojo, become big, take drugs, have sex, fall out and split up. OK this is a gender reversal piece, that lends it a certain historical value, but aside from some fun anarchic moments along the way, this is about as rebel yell as throwing litter on the floor. The constant sense of there being so much more hangs heavy and further brings to light how shallow and bereft of characterisations the script is. On the plus side, Sigismondi gets great performances out of Stewart and Shannon, the latter is suitably manic and weasel like. But even this is offset a touch by Fanning, who works hard to make the script work, but she never once convinces in the way that Stewart does. The soundtrack is top notch, with music from Iggy & The Stooges, David Bowie, Suzi Quatro, Sex Pistols and of course The Runaways themselves (including work from Fanning & Stewart). While the costuming and Benoît Debie's cinematography bring visual treats as the mid to late 70s comes alive.
But for a film that opens with a splat of menstrual blood on the floor, and one that is about an important and in your face all girl rock band, The Runaways is sadly a disappointment and unable to shake any trees. It's like going to see your favourite band to then find out it's actually the tribute band on instead. 5/10