This Movie Rocks

Rating: 7/10 (7 February 2020)

"The Runaways," a biopic of the titular teenage girl rock band, may not be a particularly revelatory or substantial film, but, c'mon, neither is the music; it is, however, constructed in such a way that I think better mimics the flow and style of popular music than in other such tuneful biographies. It's a rousing good picture and sound to view and listen to throughout. Doubtless, it helps if you like the music, but the cinematography and montage is as saliently hectic and roaring--even sensitive subject matter such as sexualizing minors, taking financial advantage of them, or drug abuse aren't dawdled upon for melodramatic points. You know, sex, drugs and rock and roll. I'll take this over, say, the more recent "Bohemian Rhapsody" (2018) or "Rocketman" (2019), with their pretensions to something more.
Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart do well in the leads, too, and Michael Shannon is again entertaining in a role that calls for some showy acting. I've never yet seen any of the "Twilight" movies in their entirety, and I'll probably be OK if I never do, but I've been impressed with the work of some of the series' actors in other movies. I recently saw future-Batman Robert Pattinson in "The Lighthouse" (2019), and besides playing cool here, Stewart has earned acclaim elsewhere, including for "Clouds of Sils Maria" (2014). I haven't seen as much of Fanning, but I liked "Coraline" (2009) and "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019). I suppose my point is that it's nice to see youths, like Joan Jett and other members of the Runaways, succeed in showbiz beyond the initial kiddie craze that launched them to stardom.