ThatGirlOnTV

Sometimes it’s not about girl power…

Sometimes it’s as real as the booze stains and cigarette butts, high heels and dirty clothes, middle fingers and chipped nail polish, coke lines and crushed pills, unkempt beds and messy-haired chaos. And if that’s the case, then The Runaways is as chaotic as it gets.

Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) was just another teenage rebel with a cause, stuck on the outskirts of style and popularity, looking for a big break into the music business she knew was for her. A wayside girl with a lot of spunk, Jett was often told how girls should act, but she had no intentions of being average. When a fast talking record producer takes a chance on her all-girl band idea, they assemble the first big introduction to women in Rock & Roll, five girls known as The Runaways.

Led by lead singer Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning), Jett and the girls gave the male dominated music biz a swift kick in the balls, gaining world wide popularity and finding out what kind of bad-ass betties they had to be to stir up a scene. From LA to Tokyo, The Runaways introduced the world to the loud-mouth lyrics that immortalized them into the 70s.

Based on the true story of the band, The Runaways is a shit-show display of the rocker lifestyle, coming straight from music video director and photographer Floria Sigismondi. The art is ever present in this trippy, less-than biopic of the Jett/Curie history, as the gritty photography gives way to the even grittier story of its tattooed teenage subjects. Sigismondi pays close attention to the cinematography of the 70s, and mirrors the style in a very convincing, very unflattering way.

Bravo and encore to our two leading ladies, we see Dakota Fanning (I Am Sam, Secret Life of Bees) and Kristen Stewart (Panic Room, The Twilight Saga) in new ways: one of which we’d never hoped to see- in lingerie, sexed up, more uncut than any Twilight movie would allow, and the other- grown up, coked up, proving they can take tough material and make it believable. There is no more fitting Joan Jett than Kristen Stewart, an actress that proves with this film just how the right role can get her to maneuver her talent. The extremely versatile Fanning continues to attempt new heights, this time allowing us to see her coming of age, in an introduction into more worldly, womanly roles. Complemented nicely by an eccentric performance from Michael Shannon (Vanilla Sky, Revolutionary Road) as the legendary Kim Fowley, the cast works well together, though the rest of the girls in the band get little development.

But then again, it’s not a tailored biopic and attest to the talent of the rock band that was The Runaways, instead this film is a zoom into the lifestyle, the uncensoring, the boldness, and the quick pace of Rock & Roll. The Runaways were- without a doubt, a middle finger to the boy band…and similarly, this film throws up a pair to the conventional.

Rating: 4.5/5

(+) Raw, honest, entertaining account of the Rock & Roll Cinderella-esque story

(-) Detachment from the biopic focus, instead channelling the dramatic aspects

The remake of the 1981 classic, Clash of the Titans puts man against Greek mythological god in a war of pride, vengeance and control over one’s own destiny.

A man named Perseus (Sam Worthington), rescued by a fisherman as a baby and raised on a boat after  being born in a water grave, finds his entire identity in question when he later discovers he could be the bastard mortal son of Zeus (Liam Neeson). Looking for revenge against Hades (Ralph Fiennes) and against the gods altogether, Perseus sets out on a quest for mortal salvation from a doomed fate against the monstrous Kraken. The small army faces obstacle upon obstacle looking for the way to Hades’ underworld, but ultimately their efforts, as previously determined by the three witches, may not be match enough for the gods. Perseus races against time- as the Kraken’s release is marked for the eclipse 10 days away, in order to save mankind, and in order to prove to the gods that their ways are no more moral than that of mankind.

Sam Worthington (Avatar, Termination Salvation) continues on his action-packed path, with ease and much grace, taking very well to the big screen.  Though Worthington is at risk, bearing striking resemblance to what could end up as what I consider the Arnold Schwarzenegger method: tremendous presence, lots of action, as little script and as little emotion as humanly possible. If it weren’t for the talented Liam Neeson (Taken, Schindler’s List) and Ralph Fiennes (Harry Potter movies, Schindler’s List) whose exchanges nod to their unmistakable chemistry as scene partners, the writing in this film would err entirely on the side of cheesy, instead of just slightly.

From director Louis Leterrier (The Incredible Hulk, Transporter 2)  comes the 3D enhanced remake of a concept all too familiar in Greek Mythology. Difference being, the technological “enhancement” heavily compromises the flow and overall atmosphere created in watching a periodic film. Even seeing the movie in 2D, the remnants of the placements and time allotted for the 3D experience, are there and heavily felt.

But perhaps what is most important, is that Clash of the Titans is extremely entertaining. How can it not be? Impressive, colossal CGI incorporation, completely developed and unique characters, and moments that are surprising and funny. If the goal were solely to entertain, I would say that this movie is a win…

Unfortunately, too much is lost in translation, for lack of better words. It resemsbles a Brendan Fraser movie in the breaking of the time code (did they really use the word “bitch” in times of Greek mythology?), and the main character is out-shined by the supporting actors. There isn’t much to say about the women in the film, as their characters are terribly underdeveloped and almost identical.

But aside from all that, for what it is- Clash of the Titans is a joy ride of a remake.

Rating: 3/5

(+) CGI technology, character development, popcorn worthy entertainment

(-) Moments of cheese, unnecessary 3D, break in time code, weak script for main character

April showers bring May Flowers…and lots of movies we’ve been waiting to see.

For example, the weekend of April 2nd, while you’re celebrating Easter and spending time with family, Clash of The Titans will be looking to take over the box office top spot. Rivaled very closely by Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married Too. The two long awaited and in some cases postponed movie titles will be fighting for the number one spot against the Wednesday release (and a successful one, might I add) of  Miley Cyrus’s Nicholas Sparks inspired movie The Last Song.

Then, as Tina Fey and Steve Carell’s Date Night opens the weekend of April 9th, it’s countered by equally anticipated The Runaways- Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning’s long awaited girl band flick, based on the true success story of the 70s band with the same name.  Also opening that weekend, Letter’s To God, an inspirational and undoubted tearjerker of a film featuring extremely talented young actors Bailee Madison and Tanner Maguire.

The weekend of April 16th (happy birthday to my sister Adanna!) brings the funny with a powerhouse comedian cast in Death At A Funeral, starring Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Tracy Morgan, Danny Glover, Luke Wilson, Regina Hall, Columbus Short, Zoe Saldana, and James Marsden, among others; a movie that’s sure to bring a new meaning to the words “dysfunctional family”. Also tickling our funny bones- Kick-Ass. The realest superhero movie we’ll ever see. Starring Christopher Mintz- Plasse  and Aaron Johnson.

Opening on April 23rd is Jennifer Lopez’s return to film in The Back-Up Plan, a chick flick that looks like it’s going to follow in true J-Lo Chick Flick fashion, also starring Alex O’Laughlin. Also opening is The Losers, an action packed national security  joy ride, starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Idris Elba, Columbus Short and the extremely busy Zoe Saldana.  Also, for the nature loving movie goers, Disney brings us Oceans, the underwater documentary experience similar to 2007′s Earth.

And to close out the month, on April 30th our favorite Freddy returns in A Nightmare on Elm Street, a re-imagining of the 1984 horror classic, starring a cast led by Jackie Earle Haley, Katie Cassidy and Kellan Lutz. Or if you’d rather not have trouble sleeping, the live action family comedy Furry Vengeance opens, starring Brendan Fraser and a lot of animals.

Happy movie hunting, they last far longer than Easter Eggs anyway.

C.A.M.