14 DAY TRIAL // Kristen Stewart, notoriously known these days as Bella Swan in “The Twilight Saga,” is again bringing her indie work to the Sundance Film Festival, this being the third year she attends. The two films she presented this year are “Welcome to the Rileys” and “The Runaways,” with the latter already getting plenty of positive reviews from film critics.
“The Runaways” also stars Dakota Fanning and Michael Shannon, in what is meant to be seen as a biopic of sorts of the rise and fall of the first all-girl band in the history of rock. Far from being perfect, critics say, “Runaways” doesn’t fall too often into cliché when it comes to portraying the excess typical of the ‘70s, but it is sketchy enough in how it defines the characters to allow the focus to fall someplace else: namely, on the stellar performances of the two young actresses Stewart and Fanning, and Shannon.
Though Fanning clearly steals the show with her portrayal of Cherie, the angel from hell singer in the band, Stewart is in no way outclassed, critics say in their appraisal of the cut premiered at Sundance. “The focus is on three dynamic personalities: wild child Cherie Currie (Fanning), the lead singer; androgynous ringleader Joan Jett on electric guitar; and the band's Svengali, Kim Fowley (Shannon), a record impresario whose attire reads neither male nor female. […] Stewart in short-cropped dark hair and dark clothes is the movie’s driving force as Joan Jett. The movie never appreciates Jett’s musical passion and savvy, but it does capture her burning ambition,” The Hollywood Reporter writes.
“Though sometimes her usual neurotic tics distract, ‘Twilight’s’ Stewart is a good fit for the tough but good-natured Jett, who carried on as frontwoman after Currie left, then launched a far more successful solo career,” Variety also writes in a rather lukewarm (but still positive) review. “With a killer soundtrack and an honest portrayal of The Runaways, the band should enjoy a bump in sales and a lot of new fans finding their music. But more than anything, ‘The Runaways’ is a great movie filled with honest and real performances from its experienced and talented lead actors. Definitely recommended,” Collider also writes.
“The Runaways” is rated R for strong language and images. It has premiered at Sundance the other day and will arrive in US theaters on March 19, which means the wait is not that long. However, fans abroad will have to wait some more, as hopefully the film will find an international distributor at Sundance. Below is a short trailer for “The Runaways.” Enjoy.