Here Comes the Cherry Bomb

Rating: 9/10 (21 July 2010)

The Runaways is a biopic about the first all-girl rock band from the 70's with Cherie Currie as the lead singer and Joan Jett as the second voice and guitarist. The movie is directed by Floria Sigismondi, who is mostly known for directing music videos. Floria also adapted the screenplay for this film from Cherie Currie's autobiographical book Neon Angel: The Cherrie Currie Story. What makes this an interesting movie is that Joan Jett actually produced this film so we have both views from the main stars of The Runaways that paved the way for other female rock bands in the future. I really enjoyed this biopic and found it one of the most entertaining films of the year so far thanks to a good screenplay and some great performances from the entire cast. The music in the film is also great and Dakota Fanning surprised me with her good vocals. I was not familiar with The Runaways before watching this movie, but I did recognize some of their songs. Cherie Currie might have received all the praise during those early years, but who later rose to fame was Joan Jett, and anyone familiar with the rock industry has heard of her. This is the story of the band she first played for before reaching true fame with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. Whether you enjoy rock music or you don't the movie still is worth your time because it has some great performances and is really well produced, and I guarantee you that by the end of the film you will want to read more about their story.
From a very young age Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) had a dream of one day making history by forming the first all-girl rock band. Rock and roll was her life and it was a way to get away from all her troubles back home (which aren't developed in this movie). One day she runs into the legendary music producer, Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon) who is seduced by her idea and introduces her to drummer Sandy West (Stella Maeve) so that they can start playing together. All the band really needs now according to Kim is a hot lead singer and they find in Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning) the perfect one because of her David Bowie and Bridget Bardot look. Or as Fowley puts it: ¨I like your style. A little Bowie, a little Bardot, and a look on your face that says I could kick the sh&t out of a truck driver.¨ Since the film is based on Currie's autobiography we do get some background about her family. She basically lives alone with her teenage sister, Marie (Riley Keough) because their mom has left with another man to Indonesia and their dad is an alcoholic. Cherie finds the perfect opportunity to pursue her dreams and joins the band. The movie begins exploring the early years of The Runaways and their rise to fame, along with some of the issues the band faced from arguments to drug addiction. Of course there are a lot of things that are left out in a two hour movie and the film doesn't delve too much into the character's past, but it works nonetheless as a biopic about the band.
Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart prove that they can act in more serious and independent roles and don't have to rely on their star power or act only in blockbuster movies. They give really good performances in this film and are a major reason why this movie was so successful. It would not be fair to ignore Michael Shannon in this film, because his role as Kim Fowley was excellent. It was a supporting role, but he shines in every scene and is also a major reason why this movie worked so well. Yes, the movie does have its flaws because there isn't enough time to delve in the characters past nor perhaps the real struggles that the band faced, but it is a great movie that will leave you wanting to learn more about their story. The Runaways has a pretty realistic and raw feeling to it and I think Floria Sigismondi did a great job as a first time full length director in this film and with the screenplay as well. I think this is a movie worth seeing whether you are a fan of rock or not. It reminded me a lot of Sam Raimi's Control (a biopic about the 80's band Joy Division) which a lot of people haven't seen either.