A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW - KRISTEN STEWART

Only 24 film critics out of 234 didn't like Kristen Stewart's performance in "The Runaways"

2011-02-13T17:57:00.029-02:00

Kristen Stewart in "The Runaways"

My goal with all this research and compilations is to show what the people from the Business really think about the acting skills of a 20 years old artist that has worked since a child and has already made more than 20 movies. A young woman who got in the middle of a true tsunami, the Twilight Saga Phenomenon. At the age of 18, became over exposed 24 hours a day and had her acting credentials questioned by people who do not know her besides from the Twilight world. Not that she has to prove her talent to anyone. But as an avid movie lover and an admirer of these talented women (actresses), I was totally mesmerized by this talented young lady who has so much potential that I could not stop doing something to help raise the awareness of other film goers, since so many movie critics praise her perfomance.

Kristen signed the contract the same day the first installment of the Twilight Saga arrived in the cinemas. Neither she, the producers or the director of The Runaways could predict what would happen with her after that day. She was just 18.

Kristen Stewart Chaos - link of the original page

She started filming Twilight at 17 in 2008. She filmed Welcome to The Rileys just after finishing Twilight and before finishing the Welcome to the Rileys filming, she went in an international promo tour for Twilight and got a lot of backlash, a lot of bullying from people like Perez and became the center of the attention of entertainment and gossips blogs, sites and magazines. She was still just 18.

In the beginning of 2009, she filmed New Moon, the second installment of the saga. After that she had just two weeks before starting filming on The Runaways and after that she just had less than a week to start filming Eclipse. A few weeks after the wrap up of Eclipse, she started the international promo tour for New Moon and its premieres. New Moon started in November 2009 in the cinemas. So... she had just December 2009 to take a brake from everything.

You just have to look at her face and you'll see all!

Two years of hard work, harsh scrutiny, a lot of bullying and people mixing her attitude before all this media madness, all the paparazzi, fans and change of status, with her acting skills. People could not distinguish her work from her insecure teenager attitude before all of that.

Experienced adults have a hard time dealing with situations like that.

Can you imagine how her nerves were, what her feelings were when she went to Sundance in January 2010 at only 19, knowing that everybody would be there and would want to know how well the girl from Twilight would do in her two films of the festival? She was a nervous wreck, defensive and insecure but above all a professional! She went there, she promoted her movies, did two days of individual interviews, roundtables, red carpets and Q&As.

She was wide open, honest and raw, despite all of her natural adolescent insecurities, of her natural artistic insecurities and also through her willingness to just participate, as a normal person, of the party atmosphere that is the Sundance Film Festival (normal feeling of any 19 girl, by the way), something that she already had done three times before.

People from the media just saw all of that as a non-friendly attitude, backlashed her and put her in a box. Look at this article from Kris Lee from the LA Times in January 28, 2010 and you will see an example of that.

They did an amazing job!

Two teenagers have fun! I love this pic!

So again... we will see some film critic's reviews with a lot of these confusing images of her, mixing her performance with her real life attitude of the moment, or an episode of her life.

So lets start!

As promised, here we have the second compilation of all the professional film critic's reviews of Kristen Stewart's performance in "The Runaways" from data base sites as Rotten Tomatoes (RT) which had 168 reviews, Meta Critics (MC) 36 reviews, Movie Review Intelligence (MRI) 49 reviews, Movie Review Query Engine (MRQE) 119 reviews and all the others that were not included for a motive or another in at least one of these listings.

As I said in the first compilation, some of the reviews are in two, three or even the four listings, so the numbers of reviews will not be as great as if we added the addition all four lists.

It is very important to understand that just professionals film critics are listed here!

P - Positive review (180 reviews)
P/N - Mixed review or not gave opinion or is indifferent (30 reviews)
N - Negative review (24 reviews)

This pic is a work of art! Amazing!

P 01 - A. O. Scott - New York Times (Top Critic) - "“The Runaways,” which takes place mainly in Southern California in the mid-1970s, evokes its moment and milieu with affectionate, almost uncanny fidelity. It’s a sun-baked teenage wasteland of muscle cars and hamburger stands, and the two young 21st-century movie stars who play the main characters seem to fit right in. Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart, who are Cherie Currie and Joan Jett, lead singer and guitarist for the band that gives the movie its name, were born a long time after the book had closed on the real-life Runaways, but the seriousness and self-confidence with which they tackle their roles goes a long way toward establishing a sense of authenticity. ....And Ms. Stewart, watchful and unassuming, gives the movie its spine and soul."

A. O. Scott & Michael Phillips At The Movies

P 02 - Aaron Peck - High-Def Digest - "'The Runaways' shines through with some solid performances... Stewart – yes she's still playing a brooding teenager – shows some deep emotional range. She's not that softy love stricken girl she plays in the 'Twilight' movies. Her Joan Jett would rip Edward to pieces. She puts on a hard-nosed edge that hasn't been seen in her acting repertoire until now."

P 03 - Adam Tobias - Watertown Daily Times - "Stewart proves she has the ability to do more than just bite her lip and sulk as Bella in the “Twilight” series, and I think it's safe to say Fanning is no longer the innocent little girl we've gotten used to seeing in such films as “Charlotte's Web” and 2005's “War of the Worlds.” (“Twilight” fans might gasp in horror when they see two of their favorite budding stars inhaling handfuls of drugs and taking part in a make-out scene together.) With “The Run-aways,” Stewart and Fanning have shown they have incredible range, and it appears as though the two have very promising careers ahead of them."

P/N 04 - Alan Bacchus - Daily Film Dose - (He didn't talk about Kristen, so I'll put it as indifferent)

P/N 05 - Alex Billington - FirstShowing.net - (He didn't like the movie at all. He didn't talk about the acting, he just bashed the director, the script and the principal photography. So... I will put it as a "not gave opinion ")

P 06 - Allan Given - Pop Culture World News - "While there will of course be a lot of press given to the fact that Kristen Stewart (Joan Jett) cut her trademark hair into the iconic Joan Jett ragged look that she wears throughout the film, or that she and Dakota Fanning (Cherie Currie) share an on-screen kiss, the fact is, both actresses deliver amazing performances that beautifully capture the complexity both girls were experiencing as they were being thrust into the world of fame, money and drugs while at the same time trying to discover who they were as individuals. Stewart and Fanning each give memorable performances that are comprised of such a restrained emotionality of depth that it is hard to imagine any other actresses in either part. Stewart and Fanning make the characters their own and one never gets the sense that they are merely watching just a diluted caricature that is oftentimes seen when real life and iconic individuals are portrayed on the big screen. There is a vulnerability to each character and both Fanning and Stewart excel at balancing that vulnerability with the ferocious drive of their respective characters. The fact is, there are no weak, or even mediocre performances in "the Runaways", with Sigismondi getting the absolute best out of each of her cast members, including a tremendous performance by Academy Award® nominated actor Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road) as record producer Kim Fowley."

P 07 - Allan Hunter - Daily Express - "Kristen Stewart’s ambitious, moody Jett is the force behind the band."

P 08 - Alynda Wheat - People - "The script lacks substance, but the actresses deliver on style, with the tense Stewart showing some oomph as Jett."

P 09 - Amber Wilkinson - Eye for Film - "...but most of all there is a blistering set of performances at the heart of the film." "...She (Fanning) is matched step for step by Kristen Stewart, who slips into the Jett role with ease,..."

P 10 - Amy Nicholson - I.E. Weekly - "...Stewart is steely and aloof. She graces us with her cool.,..."

P 11 - Andrew L. Urban - Urban Cinefile - "...Kirsten Stewart is also effective as the rocking Joan Jett who drives the band's heart and soul .,..."

P 12 - Andrew O'Hehir - Salon.com (Top Critic) - "...What kept them going? Well, the fire of rock 'n' roll, of course. Perhaps also the nebula-hot celebrity of Kristen Stewart, a phenomenon that seems to baffle the young lady in question but has produced unmanageable hordes of paparazzi at numerous screenings and parties, undermining any pretense that this is a trimmed-down and refocused Sundance. Playing laconic, androgynous rock legend Joan Jett in music-video director Floria Sigismondi's feature debut may have struck Stewart as an antidote to "Twilight's" demure Bella -- Jett would just kick those preening vampire dudes in the nuts and stomp away -- but it was Stewart's presence that turned what would already have been a hot-ticket premiere into a mob scene."

P 13 - Andrew Pragasam - The Spinning Image - "... while Kristen Stewart’s terse screen persona suits the role of Joan Jett."

P 14 - Angie Errigo - Empire Magazine (UK) - "Cringe-making fun for survivors of the '70s. For the younger majority: a familiar rise and fall of sex, drugs and rock & roll enlivened by the gender reversal and performances."

P 15 - Ann Hornaday - Washington Post (Top Critic) - "Kristen Stewart, making the most of her hunched, hooded persona, portrays Jett as the steady, serious and most sexually liberated member of the group. (Jett at one point teaches a bandmate to have an orgasm and later has an affair with Currie, an episode Sigismondi portrays in a hazy montage of drugs, rock-and-roll and roller skates.)
.... It's a shame that "The Runaways" is told mostly from Currie's point of view (she's the only character we see living a life outside rehearsals and performances), because it's Jett's drive and ambition that seem to have held the fragile ensemble together during its brief run and that made her a star after the Runaways broke up. She remains a cipher in a film that favors tone over characterization."

P 16 - Ann Thompson - Indiewire (Top Critic) - "While Stewart does what she can with an under-written role, Fanning seems limp-wristed as Currie; she does not rock, nor does the movie. (The girls sing their own songs.) .... Kristen is doing a very different role. It’s fairly edgy compared to Twilight"

N 17 - Annlee Ellingson - Moving Pictures Magazine - "Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning, who also appear together in the Twilight movies, let go of those films teenage longing and angst and let it all out in this biopic about the Runaways meteoric rise and fall." "Nineteen-year-old Stewart, who hunches her shoulders and stalks like a caged animal, and 16-year-old Fanning, feral as she struts her stuff in lingerie, are game, but they're also somehow inaccessible, and the whole thing lacks energy. Despite the movie's R rating, when Fanning wraps a cord around her thigh and holds her microphone like a penis, it still feels as if she's holding back, and not just because they don't get naked."

P 18 - Anthony Quinn - Independent - "What keeps it going is the performances, Stewart's sulky and driven Jett and Fanning's druggy, jailbait princess kicking ass in all quarters and not averse to some Sapphic smooching after hours."

P/N 19 - Armond White - New York Press - "Well-cast Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett and Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie both look right, yet are too recessive."

P 20 - Barry Hertz - National Post - ".... the actress (Fanning) demonstrates impressive range here, at times even upstaging Stewart, the film’s ostensible star. (For those Twilight die-hards out there, the erstwhile Bella Swan still puts on a good show as the snarling Jett, but never matches the intensity of her co-stars.)

P 21 - Becky Bartlett - Skinny - "while Kristen Stewart is perfectly suited to play Jett,..."

P 22 - Ben Kenber - Musicouch - "“The Runaways” turns out to be a missed opportunity despite some strong performances and some kick ass rock and roll scenes. .... The acting for the most part though is very good, and it does make “The Runaways” worthy of a decent rental for some. “Twilight” star Kristen Stewart stars as Joan Jett, and she gets all the singing and guitar moves down in excellent fashion. I heard from somewhere that when the real Joan Jett got a tape of Kristen singing her songs and listened to them, she ended up thinking that a mistake had been made because Joan thought it was her singing. While she isn’t necessarily great in the film, she does acquit herself well and shares a strong chemistry with Dakota Fanning."

P 23 - Ben Umstead - Twitch Films - "Kristen Stewart axes her image as an angsty teenage vampire lover and gives a no frills, nuanced performance as a tough as nails but well rounded Jett. As she growls on stage and plays guitar, Stewart is utterly convincing as a determined teenager who is destined to be famous."

P 24 - Beth Wilson - Trespass - "Both Fanning and Stewart do well with the material, especially given the added component of singing and playing instruments. Stewart shows off a tougher persona than we usually see from her, proving she is far more than just a pout."

P 25 - Betsy Sharkey - Los Angeles Times (Top Critic) - "Instead of training the lens on the Runaways' artistic rebel who hung around and became legend, rocker Joan Jett, played with serious punk grrl power by Kristen Stewart, the movie focuses on the one who actually ran away, lead singer Cherie Currie, a kohl-eyed and sullen Dakota Fanning."

P 26 - Betsy Sherman - Boston Phoenix - "... and if Stewart’s Jett seems a bit subdued, that’s okay. Jett is in it for the long haul; she cares about the music, and about their legacy. Imperfect as it is, The Runaways might have a legacy as well."

P 27 - Bill Gibron - PopMatters - "... As played by Twilight talent Kristen Stewart, she’s a series of planned poses and power chords just waiting for a stage to dominate." "The acting is excellent and the first hour shimmers with some unsuspected surprises."

P 28 - Bill Goodykoontz - Arizona Republic (Top Critic) - "Stewart is surprisingly good as Jett; the head-down non-responsive attitude that is so annoying in the "Twilight" films is much more at home here. Jett is lost, after all, until she cranks up her guitar, at which point Stewart comes alive, as well." "What's lacking are surprises or any sort of different take on the traditional rags-to-rock-riches story. The performances help make up for that!"

P 29 - Bill Holdship - Metro Times (Detroit, MI) - "Kristen Stewart's Joan Jett is one of many killer riffs that makes The Runaways"
".... A large part of the movie's pre-release criticism suggested that Sigismondi should've used unknowns for her film's two main roles rather than famous current teen queens, Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart. This writer heard initial reports (from someone who would know) that Sigismondi's screenplay was more The Hills or Beverly Hills 90210 than it was "punk rock" — which also seemed to justify those criticisms. And the notion of Twilight's Bella Swan as Joan Jett certainly may sound sacrilegious in concept and on paper. Stewart has seemed like a one-emotion actress thus far, even in the pretty good Adventureland. But Joan Jett's public persona has never exactly been multi-emotional — and it turns out that Stewart is actually really good at capturing Jett's icy, tough-but-cool girl swagger, adding the needed touches of vulnerability that transform it into a pretty terrific performance.
I've seen at least two "female Brando" comparisons, and while that may be hyperbole, it's also not ridiculous. Besides, how can one not admire a character whose early stated purpose is to merge Suzi Quatro with Chuck Berry ... and who mentions Elvis within her first few moments onscreen? Yep. Stewart is a genuine rock star here."
"Make no mistake about it, though — Stewart and Fanning are the runaway stars here."

P 30 - Bill Weber - Slant Magazine - "And for much of its first half, veteran music video director Floria Sigismondi's feature debut gives the story a buzzing, underdog energy, transcending the genre's well-worn basics due principally to a pair of nervy impersonations: Kristen Stewart as shag-coiffed, slouching guitar goddess Joan Jett, whose will and ambition can't be denied by a teacher's refusal to let her plug into an amp; and ..."
"But the plot's focus on Currie rather than Jett is a serious imbalance, particularly given the magnetism gap between the two young actors' characterizations; Fanning's spacey waif can't carry much weight opposite Stewart's persuasive, working-class leather siren, who's capable of both confronting Fowley and teaching her drummer how to masturbate with a showerhead. Finally parted by the incompatibility of Joan's lifer noise-queen chops and Cherie's vulnerability, the two young women could've been the spine of a more daring, unconventional drama, but the film's closing minutes make the whole project primarily seem an origin story for Jett's long-lasting stardom."

P 31 - Bill Wine - KYW Newsradio (Top Critic) - "Stewart and Fanning are more than credible: they are downright authentic."

P 32 - Bob Grimm - Reno News & Review - "Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning are phenomenal as Joan Jett and Cherie Currie, founding members of the legendary all-girl rock band The Runaways. They look the parts, they do their own flat-out fantastic singing, and they come to the movie party guns a blazin’." "...That said, Fanning’s version of “Cherry Bomb” is remarkable stuff, and I thought she was lip-synching Currie. Ditto for Stewart, who nails every aspect of Jett. It pisses me off that the movie lets them down."

N 33 - Boo Allen - Denton Record Chronicle (TX) - "As Jett, Stewart continues to show that at this point, she can do little more than pout. Fanning’s Currie is a little more expansive but hardly enough to elicit sympathy, or interest."

N 34 - Brad Brevet - RopeofSilicon - "... and a chance for Kristen Stewart to brood on screen with a character that calls for the actress's expected dead-eyed acting chops."

P 35 - Brandon Lee Tenney - FirstShowing.net - "Kristen Stewart captures the intensity, angst, and presence of Joan Jett."

P 36 - Brent Simon - Shared Darkness - "... that chiefly connects courtesy of a nervy, burgeoning adult performance by Kristen Stewart, and a smart, economical sense of period style."

P 37 - Bret McCabe - Baltimore City Paper - "Fanning, Stewart, and Shannon feel like they do much more with their characters than what's on paper. Stewart, as she did in 2009's Adventureland, puts a young face trying to be stoic on an inner struggle that's dying to get out."

P 38 - Rotten Tomatoes Show - Current TV -

P 39 - Brian MacClelland - Serious Movie Lover - "This was great casting—Kristen Stewart IS the young Joan Jett, showing a way more nuanced talent than her OTT CrazyAngst (TM) Twilight performances would have led you to believe her capable of, and Dakota Fanning was way better than most critics will tell you. Why do people hate Dakota Fanning? (Why, Kimberly?!) And across the board, from Tatum O’Neal as Mom Curry to the dude who weirdly played the very weird Rodney Bingenheimer, there’s not a single actor acting in sight—just funny, sad, pissed, and/or heartbroken characters as far as the eye can see.
And there’s something in this movie for everyone, really, as I discovered with my 13-year-old son’s enthusiastic endorsement: “That movie was awesome,” adding: “I just saw Kristen Stewart making out with Dakota Fanning.”

N 40 - Brian Orndorf - BrianOrndorf.com - "Stewart and Fanning are drywall as Jett and Currie, staring blankly at the camera as their way of conveying a besieged mentality befitting overwhelmed rock stars (at least in Japan). Matters sour further when time comes for the pair to perform, displaying a stiff, inhibited stage presence when the real deal was far more animalistic and chaotic. The singing is even worse, though I give Fanning credit for even trying to match Currie’s corkscrew vocal work. She fails cringingly short, but it’s a brave shot."

P/N 41 - Brian Prisco - Pajiba - "Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart are decent enough,..." "... That’s the problem at the core of The Runaways. What should have been empowerment becomes a crusty stain on your boxers. These young actresses are better than this. If it was acting out, if it was proving that they’re more than just sparkle-whores, the fact of the matter is they’ve already done that in other films. If it was just harmless fun, making a few extra bucks and shaking it for the hell of it, then good on them. Hopefully they got it out of their systems, and now they can move on to bigger and better things."

P 42 - Brian Salisbury - Hollywood.com (Top Critic) - "A paint-by-numbers rock biopic elevated only by very strong performances from Michael Shannon, Dakota Fanning and, surprisingly, Kristen Stewart." " have to admit I was completely wrong about Stewart’s ability to play the goddess of punk. Stewart clearly did her homework, because she is fantastic. It’s not just the eerie physical resemblance; Stewart inhabits Jett with every movement she makes. In her first few scenes, the lines coming out of her mouth sounded more petulant than rebellious, and I was worried. But as the movie progresses, the character begins to communicate more with movement than with words and it is phenomenal. The strongest part about her performance is that she captures Joan’s raw, uncompromising love for rock music."

P 43 - Carolyn Oakes - Film Monthly - "The Runaways (directed and written by Floria Sigismondi) is a satisfying film (based on Cherie Currie’s book) about girls and rock n’ roll, that is worth seeing for the outstanding performances..."

"While this story is powerful and important, especially for those who love music and are fascinated with its’ history, this film lacks a fervor and a specific direction. Luckily, standout performances by Michael Shannon and Kristen Stewart (out of left field) are enough to keep us watching, and to keep us caring about these young women and their mission. Stewart’s Joan Jett is a truly startling surprise. Joan Jett herself is quite an interesting and powerful persona all on her own, and yet this portrayal injects mystery and intrigue that makes her the most provocative character on screen. Stewart needs to do so little to convey Jett as she was: strong, massively talented, and a force to be reckoned with – the type to speak softly but carry a big stick. This film will leave you wanting to know even more about Jett, and that is a tribute to both Stewart and Jett herself."

"Fanning is good but not great which is what we have come to expect from the impressive resume she has amassed in just 16 years. This is not her best work, and I feel certain she will prove she is a force with time. The talent is there, but it is less apparent in this portrayal then in films past. She is up to par as Currie, but still not as striking or impactful as Stewart, who steals every scene right out from under the pretty blond."

P 44 - Carrie Rickey - Philadelphia Inquirer (Top Critic) - "On the one hand, it's a pitch-perfect evocation of time and place, and boasts mesmerizing performances, including that of a tranced-out Fanning, a prickly Stewart, and an outlandish Michael Shannon as Fowley."

P 45 - Catherine Bray - Film4 - "... Currie and Jett make an entertaining screen pairing, and actors Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart are more charismatic here than in anything else to date, as they drink, snort, play and perform with giddy abandon." "... the performances are excellent and the live performances feel suitably live, not polished and dubbed."

P 46 - Charlie Lyne - Ultra Culture - "... but Kristen Stewart is as good as ever and manages to go the entire 106 minute runtime without biting her lip, which is definitely something to be proud of."

P 47 - Charlie McCollum - San Jose Mercury News (Top Critic) - "Dakota Fanning's porcelain-doll features were swathed in exotic makeup and her blond hair coifed into a feathery shag; she raised her umpteenth shot of sake and cast a knowing glance at Kristen Stewart. The "Twilight" star held Fanning's gaze briefly and toasted back, looking every inch the tough rocker chick, with her matching black shag hairdo, spiked bracelet and razor-blade charm necklace. Rock 'n' roll story." (His review doesn't show up on the site anymore. You have to pay to have access to the archive. If anyone have it please post it here.)

P 48 - Charlotte O'Sullivan - This is London - "... What we get, instead, is a love story between the blonde, damaged, doll-like Cherie (Dakota Fanning) and dark-haired, down-to-earth rhythm guitarist Joan Jett (Twilight’s Kristen Stewart; excellent).

P 49 - Chaterine Humble - The Telegraph [UK] - " Kristen Stewart’s quiet toughness and devotion to wayward Cheri casts a tender look at female intimacy."

P 50 - Chris Bumbray - JoBlo's Movie Emporium - "While she's really playing second banana to Fanning, Kristen Stewart makes an excellent Joan Jett. Truthfully, I wish THE RUNAWAYS had focused on Jett, as she was the one who really broke out after the band's dissolution (her I LOVE ROCK N' ROLL album is a classic) and, to me anyways, her arc was just as interesting as Fanning's, all though considering Jett didn't have the same drug problems, it probably wasn't as attractive to the filmmakers." "... As much as I dislike the TWILIGHT films, if she continues to use her clout from that franchise to get films like these made, than she's on the right path. Unlike many of her contemporaries, Stewart seems to want to build a good body of work, which is the key to longevity."

P 51 - Chris Hewitt (St. Paul) - St. Paul Pioneer Press - Audio

P 52 - Christopher Null - Filmcritic.com (Top Critic) - "Like most people, I was seriously worried about whether Fanning or Stewart had the chops for these roles, but both acquit themselves admirably. Stewart is admittedly better."

P 53 - Claudia Puig - USA Today (Top Critic) - "The film is anchored by a trio of strong performances: Dakota Fanning's Cherie Currie, Kristen Stewart's Joan Jett and Michael Shannon's megalomaniacal and sadistic music producer, Kim Fowley." "Stewart's trademark low-key surliness works well for the part. She projects a convincing blend of swagger and smarts."

P 54 - Clay Cane - BET.com - "There is one strong force in the film, which is Joan Jett, and the story might’ve been stronger if this was a movie solely about her, and The Runaways secondary. Kristen Stewart plays Joan Jett, and she surprisingly transcends the teen melodrama of “Twilight” and manages to push out a strong, risky performance. Joan Jett is an executive producer, so I doubt she would allow Bella to ruin her on screen; you can tell Stewart studied Jett and had a goal to make her proud. Any Joan Jett fan would give two thumbs up to Stewart."

P 55 - Clint O'Connor - Cleveland Plain Dealer - "Kristen Stewart, hitting more of the high notes we glimpsed in her pre-Bella days, is Jett, dark-haired, guitar-strumming, glue-sniffing "tough girl" who wants to beat the boys at their own raunch-rock game."

"It also earns authenticity points because Stewart and Fanning actually play and sing. Each delivers an impressive, stripped-down raw intensity attuned to the band's garage, er, trailer, roots."

P 56 - Cole Smithey - ColeSmithey.com - "the band's bi-sexual lead singer to Kristen Stewart's tomboy-channeling of guitarist Joan Jett. Jett's overshadowing solo career after the Runaways 1979 break-up makes you want the movie to be more about her."

N 57 - Colin Covert - Minneapolis Star-Tribune - "You get the sense she doesn't know how to get the best from her actors yet. Stewart scowls and acts with her shoulders. Fanning is mysteriously closed, yet her face tells you everything. And Shannon's performance turns the volume up to 11."

P 58 - Colin Harris - The Critical Critics - "Kristen Stewart, as Jett, fares even better. Do not dismiss this actress lightly just because she’s the star of the teen-favorite Twilight series; she nails Jett’s style perfectly. Watching her perform Jett’s hunched guitar style onstage was spookily accurate."

P 59 - Colin Jacobson - DVD Movie Guide - "Though the top billed actor, Stewart often feels left on the sidelines. Currie gets most of the on-screen attention, and Fowley’s wildness means that he becomes prominent whenever the camera smells him. Jett comes across without much personality, but Stewart still manages to enliven the role as written. She makes me wish poor Joan had more to do, and since the real Jett acted as executive producer, I’m a bit surprised the movie character plays such a relatively small role. But she does, and the flick suffers for it."

P 60 - Craig Kennedy - Living Cinema - "Kristen is a hit as Jett"

N 61 - Curt Holman - Atlanta Creative Loafing - "The Runaways' contrite tone may not have been Jett or writer/director Floria Sigismondi's intention, but a consequence of the (mis)casting of Twilight's Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning as the two leads." ".... Stewart nicely replicates Jett's hooded bangs and hunched posture, but doesn't come close to capturing her provocative energy. Stewart's passivity makes Jett seem more like Fowley's accomplice than Currie's ally."

P/N 62 - Cynthia Fuchs - PopMatters - "But her incarnation by Stewart seems a little too cool for this movie—at least until you remember that the real Jett executive-produced this fictional and rather conventional version of the band’s life."

P 63 - Dan Hudak - Hudak on Hollywood - "To give credit where it’s due, Stewart and Fanning are very good. Both did their own singing, and Stewart’s energy proves that she can play more than a distraught, moping teenager."

P 64 - Dan Lybarger - eFilmCritic.com - "As the annoyingly passive Bella in the Twilight films, Stewart seems lost and vacant. As the feisty Jett, however, she’s right at home. Not only can she carry a tune and wear Jett’s androgynous outfits credibly, her steely eyes indicate that she’s not going to let smug, sexist buffoons keep her from being the Queen of Rock. At the same time, Stewart gives Jett a nurturing heart, so that it’s easy to hope she’ll get fame on her own terms."

P/N 65 - Dana Stevens - Slate (Top Critic) - "Kristen Stewart's Joan Jett is similarly underwritten, but instead of radiating unmitigated nastiness, she radiates unmitigated cool. Whether shouting down a square music teacher who tell her, "Girls don't play electric guitar," or snorting coke in an airplane bathroom, or teaching her bandmates how to masturbate while envisioning Farrah Fawcett, Joan is at all times the picture of hip rocker detachment (which Stewart's performance translates into mild, mumbling disaffection)"

"The wispy insubstantiality of The Runaways can't be blamed on its cast—Fanning, Stewart, and Shannon are all good in their roles, even if their range is never tested."

P 66 - Danny King - Film Stage - "In the film’s best performance, Kristen Stewart breathes Joan Jett. She looks every bit like the influential rock star, and I couldn’t bring myself to take my eyes off of her. I was disappointed that she wasn’t used more. ....
The film also uses the music as a main character, featuring many recorded performances from both Fanning and Stewart. I like the fact that they sang their own music. Not only does it emphasize the authentic ’70s feel to the film, but it makes the band scenes seem livelier, and without that, the film could have easily run into trouble with its pacing.
The main attraction here is Stewart, and I recommend this film for the sole pleasure of seeing this talented actress begin her development into something special. She has an electric screen presence, and I can’t get over how awesome she looks in the film. My hat goes off to costume designer Carol Beadle for helping create a character with such a memorable look. Part of me wants to see Stewart take another crack at the role a few years down the line, focusing solely on Jett’s career after The Runaways. We only see about five minutes of Jett after the band splits, and, not surprisingly, they are some of the best minutes this film has to offer."

P/N 67 - David D'Arcy - Screen International - ( I am putting it as indifferent because his review is not online anymore and I could not find it in any archive or other site. If anyone has it, please post it here)

P/N 68 - David Edelstein - New York magazine (Top Critic) - (He didn't like the movie and didn't express a opinion about Kristen's performance, so... I will put it as "not gave a opinion")

P 69 - David Edwards - Daily Mirror [UK] - "As far as music biopics go this is conventional fare, while the songs - like the fashions - haven't aged well. But with both women giving their all, you can't fault the enthusiasm."

P 70 - David Germain - Associated Press (Top Critic) - "For Stewart as Jett and Fanning as Runaways singer Cherie Currie, the movie is a smart showcase to help them break out of their molds as they take on more adult roles, Stewart aiming for life after "Twilight" and Fanning seeking to graduate from her position as Hollywood's doe-eyed princess of child stars. Both have done other mature roles - Stewart was a stripper and hooker in the upcoming "Welcome to the Rileys," Fanning played a teen rape victim in "Hounddog." Yet "The Runaways" will be an eye-opener for their fans, with Stewart and Fanning hurling themselves into the roles, their descent into the seedy 1970s world of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll including a passionate kiss they share in a love scene. .... Stewart is the steady hand, her Jett certainly more impassioned than mopey Bella in the "Twilight" movies but muted next to the outrageous antics Fanning gets to carry out. ....Stewart and Fanning handle the vocals admirably, their live performances blending seamlessly with actual Runaways recordings on the soundtrack."

P 71 - David Kempler - Big Picture Big Sound - ""The Runaways" is fun, lively, and well-executed, but it's a little on the sanitized side of reality. .... The performances are there and the story is there but the guts are somewhat lacking. It's still a real good flick but it left me wondering what if."

N 72 - David Medsker - Bullz-Eye.com - "Stewart was a pitch-perfect choice for the role of Joan Jett for her looks alone. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have the chops to be the Serious Actress she wants to be."

P/N 73 - David Michael Brown - Empire Magazine Australasia - (He did a very little review praising the movie but not express any opinion about the performances. So, I put it as indifferent.)

P 74 - David Nusair - Reel Film Reviews - "There's little doubt that The Runaways benefits substantially from the impressive efforts of its eclectic cast,..... Sigismondi's refusal to effectively flesh out the majority of the supporting figures proves disastrous, as talented performers like Stewart and Shawkat are left with little to do but strike sneering, rebellious poses (and this is to say nothing of Fanning's flat-out inability to wholeheartedly step into the shoes of her hard-bitten character)."

P 75 & P 76 - David Stratton and Margaret Pomeranz - At the Movies (Top Critic) (Australia) - "Casting DAKOTA FANNING as Currie was a bold stroke and she is eye-opening in the role, she's growing up fast that girl. KRISTEN STEWART is terrific as Joan Jett and the relationship between the two is actually touching."

"DAVID: Well, I don't know that I should. I don't think there's very much to tell, actually. But so I went into the film with that kind of background knowledge. I found it totally fascinating and I think you're absolutely right that the two - particularly the two central woman, Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart, are amazingly good. I think they're really terrific.
MARGARET: Well, do - I think it's interesting that Kristen Stewart really has to establish herself outside the TWILIGHT series.
DAVID: Yes. Yes, sure.
MARGARET: And I think this was actually a really bold and clever move on her part.
DAVID: I agree.
MARGARET: ...going into a what is basically an independent film and really she underplays everything really, but she does it so well here. I was very impressed by her."

P 77 - David Van Der Haeghen - DVD Town - "Thankfully, Stewart, Fanning and Shannon are all strong as leads. You could argue that "The Runaways" was a space for Stewart and Fanning to get away from being boxed in for their work on those "Twilight" films, or that thanks to the "Twilight" films they can´t even get away from one another in a rock n´ roll movie. This debate aside, Stewart fits the bill as a talented, cold and committed Joan Jett, while Fanning almost rewrites the dictionary definition on jailbait as she comes of age playing Cherie Currie."

P 78 - Dennis Harvey - Variety - (Top Critic) - "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."

P/N 79 - Devin Faraci - CHUD.COM - ".... And the actresses making up the movie version of The Runaways give convincing period look, something that’s surprisingly rare. .... If there’s anything that makes the second half of the film tolerable it’s the actresses. Kristen Stewart doesn’t truly step up, playing Joan Jett with her usual stoned fuzziness,..."

P 80 - Diva Velez - TheDivaReview.com - "Sigismondi spends much camera time in close-ups of meaningful stares, because at fifteen years old, those stares are often the only expression a teenage girl ever displays. ....Great performances are what really elevate The Runaways. Kristen Stewart is a standout as Joan Jett. Mimicking perfectly Jett’s gangly, hunched posture and raccoon-eyed glare, Stewart is a dead ringer for the guitarist. Never remotely impressed with her work in the Twilight films {Click for our reviews of Twilight and New Moon}, Stewart displays actual chops here, ranging from steely intensity in the face of The Runaways’ many obstacles (- including the girls’ inability to communicate with each other), to pulling ballsy, smart-alecky pranks on those fool enough to underestimate her, to pure, hell-bent rage when things irrevocably fall apart. It’s an amazing portrayal of the deceptively tough, vulnerable teenager who will become Joan Jett and Stewart completely pulls it off."

P 81 - Doug MacLean - Home Theater Info - "Even if you are not in this demographic you will still be highly entertained by synergetic performances and some stellar performances. .... All child stars have to face the transition to mature roles. Fanning and Stewart hit the ground running here. The casting is perfect for a story about a manipulative man trying to launch ‘jail-bait’ rock only to discover these young women not only had the talent to make it without him but the drive to make him superfluous."

P 82 - Dragan Antulov - rec.arts.movies.reviews (Serbian) - "Many things about the film series twilight are regrettable, but most of all grief caused to the front of the cameras together not only young, but talented cast that you could expect a beautiful future. Similar history of Hollywood mega-franchise, however, shown that their success can be fatal for the careers of many actors, forced constantly to interpret one and the same types of characters in a vain attempt to repeat the commercial "magic". Twilight stars Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning, however, have shown a certain determination in an effort to avoid such a fate, which explains their joint appearance in the biopic The Runaways, the realization that without a lot of imagination be called a kind of antithesis Twilight.

The Runaways what seems worthy of attention is primarily the cast that out of these trying to get the maximum potential.

For Kristen Stewart almost see how desperately trying to peel off from Bella Swan and enjoy explaining how a character who, for a change, in dramatic terms of a multicellular organism. Even more enthusiasm can be seen by Dakota Fanning, a former child-actress who has for years caused antipathy as "pretty girls" in the standard Hollywood trash. In this film simply enjoys interpreting a character that was discovered sexuality and adulthood and are attempts to explore it all, including destructive ways, but those points off the scene where her character briefly and Stewartin "explore their own sexual orientation. " Great job was done and Michael Shannon in the role of unscrupulous rock producer who, accidentally or intentionally, it looks exactly like Edward Cullen would look to him any chance plays a bad make-up old man. Because of all this is The Runaways has recommended, although primarily for those who have previously been forced to watch twilight, or for therapeutic reasons. (Translated by Google translator engine. Anyone with a better translation, please, put it in the comment or contact me on twitter @luacheia99)

P 83 - Duane Dudek - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - "But Stewart's glue-huffing Jett, wearing a shag haircut, stovepipe jeans and a leather jacket, is the band and film's sparkplug. ....That Jett outlasted them to control her life, image and music is the real act of empowerment here. Both musicians were exhibitionists, and it's a little unsettling to watch a pale and thin Fanning, who just turned 16 in real life, prance around in panties and corset. But the same mumbling intensity that the sullen, sneering and heavy-lidded Stewart brought to "Twilight" fits Jett's iron-butterfly image like a glove."

P 84 - Dustin Putman - DustinPutman.com - "Beyond the haze of 1970s sexual freedom and rising equality comes both an intoxicating excitement—on-stage performances such as Joan Jett's "I Love Playing with Fire" and Cherie Currie's "Cherry Bomb," courageously sung by the actors, pop with a rattling and catchy sense of empowerment—and, ultimately, the poignancy and danger of innocence manipulated and stolen. .... The rightful star attractions, though, are Dakota Fanning (2009's "Push") and Kristen Stewart (2009's "Adventureland") as Cherie Currie and Joan Jett. In her most adult role to date, ....

.... Not to be outdone, Stewart is raw, real and amazingly assured as Joan Jett, getting the look, the voice and the body language down pat. Consider this just one more reason why she desperately needs to finish the "Twilight" series of movies and concentrate on better, more personal projects."

N 85 - Elizabeth Weitzman -New York Daily News - "Though the real Jett is as charismatic as a rock icon should be, she's played with such bland anonymity by Kristen Stewart that she barely registers."

(How do some film critics have the courage of doing do an article without do their homework? She is not the first of this listing but I could not let this past without an observation... This woman clearly don't know that this move is based in the Cherie Currie's autobiography and this is the story through her perspective and besides Joan Jett, the others members of the original band or were dead or did not sign on an agreement with the production. This way, they could not be accurately retreated in the script. So... of course, all the characters were support characters of Cherie's character, including Joan Jett's character. It was not an option of the screenwriter and director.)

P 86 - Elliott Noble - Sky Movies - "Dakota Fanning and Twilight’s Kristen Stewart are splendidly cast as Lolita-ish singer Cherie Currie and moody guitarist Joan Jett, while Michael Shannon delivers the sleazy goods as their manager Kim Fowley. .... But with Fanning expertly treading the line between vulnerability and selfishness, Stewart pushing her hitherto twilit talents into the limelight, and Shannon a constant source of sleazy amusement, The Runaways performs best when the leads are on stage."

N 87 - Eric D. Snider - EricDSnider.com - "Fanning and Stewart, playing the two leads, are timid and lifeless much of the time, even during "intense" scenes."

P 88 - Eric Grandy - The Stranger - "Kristen Stewart's Jett is believably tough and pouty in a way that her Twilight heroine has never been (and the scenes of her making out with Currie or teaching her bandmate how to masturbate to the thought of Farrah Fawcett should be instructive for fans of chaste, crypto-Mormon vampire melodramas)."

P 89 - Eric Melin - Scene-Stealers.com - "In the new 1970s-set rock biopic “The Runaways,” Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning tap into major reservoirs of their own angst from being thrust into the spotlight at an early age. .... And it’s eerily effective."

P 90 - Erin Free - FILMINK (Australia) - "Eschewing the traditional rock biopic format, the film evocatively recreates the era and the pitch-perfect performances capture the high emotions of the time. .... The film begins in the heady mid-seventies, with tomboy wannabe rocker Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart is just the right mix of vulnerability and jutting-chin aggression as this future rock icon) looking to make her mark on the music scene. .... From the actresses gamely doing their own singing, to the grubby, fumbling sex scenes, The Runaways breathlessly seethes with hard fought authenticity."

N 91 - Ethan Alter - NYC Film Critic - "She (the director) also would benefit from more experience working with actors; while Fanning is quite good as Currie, Stewart wears one expression throughout the whole movie and Shannon is allowed to rant and rave like he’s still playing his brain-addled character from Revolutionary Road."

P 92 - Frank Swietek - One Guy's Opinion - "As to the performances, Stewart rouses herself from her “Twilight” doldrums as Jett"

P 93 - Frank Wilkins - ReelTalk Movie Reviews - "With the exception of gender, the film is your basic VH1 rags-to-riches-to-rags rock ‘n roll story, but soars under the strength of the heavyweight performances of Stewart and Fanning who do a great job channeling the power that rock music carried in the ‘70s. .... Stewart’s brooding, mumbly mannerisms play nicely into Jett’s withdrawn but determined persona. It’s exciting to see her come alive on stage when she cranks up her guitar. And yes folks, that’s really Stewart singing and strumming."

P 94 - Fred Topel - Can Magazine - "The Runaways is a vehicle for intense performances, but it’s really good. Those performances serve not only the real life characters in the story, but serve a narrative that actually has something positive to say about music."

P 95 - Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat - Spirituality and Practice - "Writer and director Floria Sigismondi has fashioned a spunky music-based bio-picture with three intriguing performances by Kristen Stewart as the single-minded rocker Joan Jett, Dakota Fanning as the singer who realizes that she's in over her head, and Michael Shannon as their over-the-top and flamboyant producer."

P 96 - Gary Thompson - Philadelphia Daily News - ""The Runaways" works best when the music is allowed to speak for itself. Stewart and Fanning do their own playing/singing, bringing life to the sound."

P 97 - George Varga - San Diego Union-Tribune - "The strong performances of “Twilight” star Kristen Stewart and precocious film veteran Dakota Fanning — who portray Runaways guitarist-singer Joan Jett and lead singer Cherie Currie, respectively — should draw viewers who weren’t born until several decades after this band imploded in 1978 after only two albums."

P 98 - Giles Hardie - Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) - "Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning, most recently scene sparkling across Twilight red carpets, are immediately convincing and captivating as the screwed up teenagers turned rock stars Joan Jett and Cherie Currie."

P 99 - Glenn Gamboa - New York Newsday - "Stewart and Fanning are excellent..."

P/N 100 - Graham Young - Birmingham Post - (he didn't talk about the acting, so... I'll put it as "indifferent"!)

N 101 - J. R. Jones - Chicago Reader (Top Critic) - "Onscreen, this contradiction is heightened by the fact that Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road) steals his every scene as the aphorism-spouting Fowley while Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning often fade into the 70s wallpaper as guitarist Joan Jett and front woman Cherie Currie."

P 102 - James Berardinelli - ReelViews (Top Critic) - "The three leads provide convincing performances,... ..... Kirsten Stewart veers as far away from Twilight's Bella as one can imagine, making a pronounced statement that the actress does not want to be defined by her best-known role.
Indeed, Stewart has shown a wellspring of talent over the years, little of which is evident in the vampire movies, but a portion of which is on display here. She and Fanning, who are also appearing opposite each other in the Twilight series, show solid chemistry, making the foundation of The Runaways the relationship between Jett and Currie. .... Although neither Fanning nor Stewart are vocally equal to their cinematic alter-egos, they do their own singing and the passion they put into belting out the lyrics allows us to forget that they aren't Currie and Jett."

P 103 - James Verniere - Boston Herald (Top Critic) - "Stewart, who was terrific earlier this year in the neglected Joan Jett biopic “The Runaways,..."

P 104 - Jamie S. Rich - DVDTalk.com - "Kristen Stewart plays Jett as a restless, skulking hunter. She is not a predator, that is Fowley's job, but she's clearly a girl searching for something. Her shoulders hunched, her head down, staring out from under black bangs, she is an alluring enigma."

P 105 - Jane Crowther - TotalFilm - "And for the most part it works, thanks to painstaking recreations of hazy disco-era dive bars, faded roller rinks and seedy motels, plus a ballsy performance by Kristen Stewart. .... Hunched hungrily over her axe, dirty-s exy and growling her lines, she won’t please the Twi-hards, but it’s a welcome switch-up for anyone suspecting talent does indeed lurk among the vampires. .... Apart from some evocative scenes of the band performing (with creditable singing from Stewart and Fanning) and ...."

P/N 106 - Janos Gereben - Entertainment Insiders - (His review is not more online. So... Although his review of the film is positive in Rotten Tomatoes, I will post it as a indifferent review of Kristen's performance because I don't know what he wrote about it or even if he expressed any oppinion about it. If anyone have is please post it here!)

P 107 - Jason Anderson - Eye Weekly - "Yet the movie also delivers a surprising emotional wallop thanks to its frank portrayal of the intense, complex and (at least for one evening) erotic bond between Jett and the band’s troubled singer Cherie Currie, on whose memoir the film is largely based. Sigismondi says it took her a while to realize that the relationship between Jett and Currie — portrayed here by Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning, both of whom deliver convincing, courageous performances — was the real story of The Runaways. Choosing that as the focal point also freed her from the constraints of a just-the-facts treatment.
Since none of what ensues could be mistaken for "High School Musical" or "The Twilight Saga", the film is thoroughly inappropriate for the more impressionable portion of Stewart and Fanning’s fan bases. The director wouldn’t have it any other way.
“That was very important to me from the beginning,” she says of the film’s frank depiction of rock ’n’ roll excess. “Both girls seemed to be really, really into those aspects of it. I think if you’re a great actor, that’s the kind of thing you can sink your teeth into.”

P/N 108 - Jason Di Rosso - MovieTime, ABC Radio National (Australia) - "The story told here is about the triangle between Fowely and his two main proteges (ably performed by Fanning and Stewart): how one buckles under his pressure, and how the other finally rebels against him."

P 109 - Jeff Marker & Jonathan W. Hickman - Daily Film Fix -

P 110 - Jeff Vice - Deseret News, Salt Lake City - "But that's not to say the female leads don't get their turn in the spotlight. Those who haven't seen Stewart act in something outside of movies with "Twilight" in their title may be pleasantly surprised. She really nails Jett's unique swagger and presence."

P 111 - Jeffrey M. Anderson - Combustible Celluloid - "Kristen Stewart makes a dead-on Joan, and her slightly tentative performance fits the mold of a teenager still looking for her place in the world. This Joan wants to be a rock star more than a musician, and things like guitar lessons are just necessary bumps in the road."

P 112 - Jennifer Malkowski - DVD Verdict - "Although they've acted together before in the Twilight saga, real-life buddies Kristen Stewart (Jett) and Dakota Fanning (Currie) here turn in some impressive performances as the band's "rock and roll heart" and its "sex kitten," respectively. .... Fans of The Runaways' songs might wish for the music to take center stage, but in my mind, the on-screen chemistry between Stewart and Fanning more than makes up for it. ....

.... Stewart plays Joan as a girl who's both protective of Cherie and also a little bit in love with her. For me, one of the strongest aspects of the film was its matter-of-fact treatment of Joan's queerness: it is not shy about showing Joan making out with both boys and girls—more girls, though, if you're counting—but neither does it feel the need to define her sexuality with a label. And, while Cherie was billed as the sex kitten of the group, Stewart's portrayal of Joan felt far sexier to me (and less uncomfortable, since Fanning was only 15 when she shot this film!). As Joan, Stewart channels her trademark awkward mannerisms and apparent standoffishness into a sort of boyish cool—slouching, swearing, and looking most comfortable when she has a guitar in her capable hands—that is both tough and incredibly hot."

N 113 - Jenny Priestley - Screenjabber.com [UK] - "Stewart does manage to break away from Bella, but not from her off-screen sulky persona. For me, she's just not rocknroll enough, she feels very one note a lot of the time. It's nice to see a film where two young women get to play the leads, but it's pretty formulaic, doesn't really say anything new and it's easy to see where the script's going."

P 114 - Jim Lane - Sacramento News & Review - "Kristen Stewart gets top billing in writer-director Floria Sigismondi’s The Runaways,... .... Even Kristen Stewart is pretty interesting. No, really!"

P 115 - Joe Williams - St. Louis Post-Dispatch - "In his trailer-cum-studio, he inserts the nervous Currie into a band that includes fledgling guitarist Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart, a shadowy standout) and drummer Sandy West (Stella Maeve), and then he prods them to unleash their sexual energy."

P 116 - Josh Bell - Las Vegas Weekly - "Fanning and Stewart do a decent job of embodying both awkward adolescence and arrogant rock stardom, and the connection between the two at times feels genuine."

P 117 - Joshua Rothkopf - Time Out New York - "Wasn’t it only yesterday that Dakota Fanning shrieked her way into your splitting headache in War of the Worlds? She was just 11 back then, and in this fast-and-loose dramatization of the flameout of the 1970s proto-grrrl group, she’s all of 15. Fanning’s costar, vamp bait Kristen Stewart, isn’t that much more experienced (she can vote). The two make for an uncomfortably tarted-up frontline as, respectively, blond yowler Cherie Currie and future-bad-reputation-disregarder Joan Jett. It’s exactly as it should be; the band’s story is a cautionary one. So if you feel yourself getting protective, the movie is doing its job."

P 118 - Joshua Tyler - CinemaBlend.com - "Those of you with a Twilight astigmatism won’t like reading this, but here it is anyway: Kristen Stewart is a modern day James Dean. She gives the kind of performance in The Runaways that hasn’t been seen on screen since his death. The Runaways is her Rebel Without a Cause and what’s more that disaffected, rebellious persona seems to be one which, as it did with Dean, carries over into her real life. In person Stewart is every bit as tousled and seemingly disaffected as she is playing a rock and roll icon on screen. She’s absolutely brilliant as Joan Jett, it's the role she was born to play, and yet this is not her movie."

N 119 - Justin Strout - Orlando Weekly - "Most dooming of all, neither Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett nor Fanning (poor guitarist Lita Ford, who actually found a better solo career than Currie, gets no attention) sell themselves as rock & roll souls."

P 120 - Karina Longworth -City Pages, Minneapolis/St. Paul - "There's an obvious stunt element to the casting of The Runaways: a punked-up, barely legal Kristen Stewart and a still underage, barely dressed Dakota Fanning begging for street cred by playing dress-up as, respectively, Joan Jett and Cherie Currie, front girls of the oversexed '70s proto-punk sensation the Runaways. Watch sweet little Dakota strut around in a corset! Look at the chick from Twilight kissing girls and snorting massive amounts of coke! .... Jett's unique blend of allure and threat, apathy and determination, gets a mumbling, hyper-naturalized take from Stewart—more Brando than Bella Swan. Her performance is largely internal—risky, considering that her built-in Twilight audience might not know what to make of a character with so much going on in her head. Fanning tacks the other way, bravely embracing the physicality of her role but unable to nail its emotional complexities. (In other words, Stewart's performance makes you forget the baggage of her celebrity; Fanning's foregrounds it.)"

P 121 - Kathleen Murphy - MSN Movies(Top Critic) - "Stewart's darkly brooding presence anchors almost every scene no matter what drama-queen antics occupy the foreground. Driven by her single-minded desire to make music, Jett's a truly tough cookie (far more appealing than sex-starved Bella Swan). How she created herself is just sketched in: her joyous purchase of a black leather jacket ("I want what he's wearing!"), her contempt for the geezer music teacher who proclaims that "girls don't play electric guitar." But because Stewart smolders with such banked power, Jett comes fully formed, her sense of self as strong as whipcord, in contrast to Currie's soft blonde ambition."

P 122 - Ken Hanke - Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) - "For both Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning, the film is a revelation. Here the actresses completely shed the images they’ve both tried to break out of before. (The Runaways ought to be required viewing for all Twilight fans—if only to shake them up.) Stewart pretty much nails Joan Jett in both look and attitude. Unlike the often admirable Adventureland (2009) where I could never get past her Twilight character, I had the actual sense of Joan Jett here."

P 123 - Kevin Courrier - Critic At Large (Canada) - "For the first third of the picture, though, both Fanning and Stewart give credible performances. Fanning has a quiet insolence that makes her a shrewd choice to play Currie. (It’s a shame, though, that she gets stuck playing out conventionally dramatic family scenes with her jealous sister and alcoholic father.) Stewart thankfully loses some of those mannerisms that marred her starring roles in Twilight and Adventureland. She downplays Jett’s tough-girl image and illuminates instead the pleasures she gets from her impudent behaviour."

P 124 - Kevin Kelly - Cinematical - "I'll be blunt about this: I really wasn't looking forward to this movie. I'm not the biggest fan of lip-chewing, hair-twirling Kristen Stewart, or the wide-eyed, blank face expert Dakota Fanning. I love rock and roll (so put another dime in the jukebox, baby) as much as the next person, but these two starring in a movie about an all-girl, teen sensation, flash in the pan band from the 1970s? I just didn't think they could pull it off. Hey, at least I'm big enough to admit I was wrong. The Runaways rocked the Joan Jett / Cherie Currie backstory's pants off (literally), and I'll be buying the soundtrack, which features K-Stew and D-Fan singing the blasts from the past. .... But the real story takes place in the cracks between the electric soundtrack. Kristen Stewart steps out of her normal angsty girl act and nails down the punk rock, hard as nails Jett, and Fanning is equally as good with her disconnected portrayal of Currie, ...."

P 125 - Kevin McCarthy - BDK Reviews - "Kristen Stewart was great as Joan Jett... .... Seeing how Joan Jett became who she is today was rather fascinating. I would love to be sitting here ranting and raving about Kristen Stewart's performance..."

P 126 - Kevin N. Laforest - Montreal Film Journal - "Speaking of which (Kristen and Dakota, not their make-out scene!), both actresses must be commended for their performances, which are appropriately intense. Stewart and Fanning also do their own singing and I have to say, they rock pretty hard!"

P/N 127 - Kevin Williamson - Jam! Movies - "And whether you’re a Twihard or Twihater, the hook is irresistable. Namely, the shrewd casting of a scantily clad Dakota Fanning and a leather-attired Kristen Stewart as coke-snorting, spit-swapping bad girls Cherie Currie and Joan Jett.
What better way to rekindle interest in the salacious origins of hard rock’s first all-girl group? Or, if you’re the formerly wholesome ex-child stars, to swagger into edgy, tainted adulthood?
And swagger — and slink — Stewart and Fanning do in music-video helmer Floria Sigismondi’s feature debut."

P 128 - Kiko Martinez - Cinesnob.com - "Despite its script’s flaws, actresses Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart are well cast as bandmates Cheri Currie and Joan Jett."

P/N 129 - Kimberly Gadette - Indie Movies Online - "The filmmakers turn their cameras on Jett jumping up and down on a bed, or meditating in her bathtub. How about throwing us a crumb, letting us in on who she is, what she thinks, where she comes from? There is a certain sly sexuality to her that we long to see explored, rather than a flash here, a glimmer there. Though the blame primarily belongs to the filmmakers, Stewart's resulting performance all but fades into a black leather shadow."

P 130 - Kirk Honeycutt - Hollywood Reporter (Top Critic) - "It's an instant hit worldwide with its cast of young stars, but is it any good? Surprisingly, yes. It just must be met on its own terms. .... The vigor and pace is electric, and the movie features three showy performances by Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning and Michael Shannon. .... 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."

P 131 - Kit Bowen and Robert Sims - The Movie Kit - "As Jett, a stoic Stewart often lets her guitar speak for her, but it is through her that we come to understand the damage that fame and fortune inflicted on these teen idols."

P/N 132 - Kristin Dreyer Kramer - Nights and Weekends - "Even Stewart seems nearly bearable, with her trademark blank, angsty stare—which is actually rather fitting for her role as tough rocker chick Jett."

P 133 - Kurt Loder - MTV Movie News - "She's also been fortunate in casting her lead actors — it's hard to imagine how Dakota Fanning (as Currie), Kristen Stewart (as Jett) and Michael Shannon (as the band's raving, madman manager, Kim Fowley) could be any better in their roles. .... Fanning and Stewart do their own singing here (Stewart took guitar lessons, too), and they're really good — songs like "I Love Playin' With Fire" and "I Wanna Be Where the Boys Are" are as rousing as the original Runaways tracks. .... Stewart spends a lot of time slightly off to the side, she makes herself felt in every sequence in which she figures. Her ambiguity — as a friend, as a lover — is fascinating, especially in a scene in which Joan is lying on top of Cherie, breathing pot smoke into her mouth, and the camera looks up into her dark, otherworldly eyes, wondering what she's wondering, and what she sees coming."

P/N 134 - Kyle Smith - New York Post (Top Critic) - (He says that Dakota has a lot more to do than Kristen, so she ends outshining Kristen, although Kristen be a more star than Dakota at the moment and Dakota don't have made a lot of performances in movies lately. So... I will post it as an indiferent.)

P 135 - Larry Ratliff - LarryRatliff.com - "Both lead actresses, who convince as singers and musicians as well as actors, are superb. Stewart and Fanning (yes, once little Dakota Fanning of "I Am Sam" and "The Cat in the Hat") don't just play these characters; they slither under the skin to become them."

P 136 - Larry Richman - Independent Film Analysis - "Channeling Joan Jett, Kristen Stewart turns in a moving and powerful performance that will leave viewers stunned. .... Stewart herself reproducing Jett's vocals with astonishing authenticity.

P 137 - Laura Clifford - Reeling Reviews - "Stewart, with her deeply shadowed eyes and slouchy attitude towards stardom already had some bad girl rocker cred going into this and she does Jett proud,..."

P 138 - Leigh Paatsch - Herald Sun (Australia) - "Luckily, there are three fantastic lead performances that always keep things on the right side of watchable. .... Last, but by no means least, is Kristen Stewart as The Runaways’ bassist, Joan Jett. Both the true heroine of the band - and yet, often, their own worst enemy - Jett lands on the screen as an incredibly complex, impossibly confident young woman. Stewart thrives on this ever-contradictory character, pointing towards even bigger and better non-Twilight roles in the future."

P 139 - Leonard Maltin - ReelzChannel.com -

P 140 - Liam Lacey - Toronto Globe and Mail (Top Critic) - "While serving its commercial purpose as a vehicle for teen stars and Twilight: New Moon alumnae Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning, The Runaways captures the sleaze and innocence of the era and has some still-relevant things to say about the conflict between girl-rocker empowerment and exploitation. .... Stewart, who adopts Jett’s hunched posture and punk mumble, lets her hungry stare do all the work."

N 141 - Lisa Kennedy - Denver Post (Top Critic) - ""Twilight" moper Kristen Stewart plays aching- to-jam guitar player Joan. ..... Joan Jett (nee Joan Marie Larkin) should be the more interesting figure, not least because she proved such a kick-tail survivor when she resurrected herself, first as a solo act, then with the Blackhearts. And one of the bonuses of thinking about the "The Runaways" has been jamming to "Cherry Bomb" and "Bad Reputation" in the car. So one might expect that the black-haired guitarist would be the star of this show. (Jett has an executive-producer credit). But Stewart plays it intensely cool, and Jett's inner workings are a mystery. That she loves rock 'n' roll remains much of what we know."

P/N 142 - Lori Hoffman - Atlantic City Weekly - "Angelic Dakota Fanning is obviously hoping to graduate completely to adult roles as lead singer Cherie Currie, but she isn’t very convincing as either a sexed-up, David Bowie-obsessed teen or a drug addict. Kristen Stewart is more effective as Joan Jett, but a little too low-key. Shannon, however, is a delightfully over-the-top, sleazy force of nature as the music insider who knew his teenage jail-bait concept would get the band noticed."

P 143 & P 144 - Louis B. Robson & Mike Lownsbrough - Big Picture Movie Review -

P 145 - Louise Keller - Urban Cinefile - "Kristen Stewart gets away from her vulnerable Twilight character here, ably portraying Joan Jett, the 15 year old guitarist song-writer with the Elvis-black hair who wears black leather and wants to play guitar like Chuck Berry. Joan and Cherie are the two pivots that keep the band alive; theirs is a complex relationship as they grow up in a precipitous environment, where excess is worshiped and restraint is unknown."

P 146 - Luke Bunanno - DVDizzy.com - "Fortunately, matured child actors Stewart and Fanning have that ... .... Stewart, out to prove she's capable of more than the lip-biting angst of her signature franchise, puts on airs more transparently."

P 147 - Luke Y. Thompson - E! Online - "For everyone who has ever complained about the Twilight movies being too pro-abstinence, here are Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning as '70s teenage rock stars Joan Jett and Cherie Currie, who drink, screw, do drugs and rock out with their schlock out. The based-on-a-true-story, rock-star arc is entirely predictable, but the lead performances, along with Michael Shannon as eccentric mentor Kim Fowley, elevate the antics above average. .... the actors make this work, and there is where Sigismondi shines—the recent The Yellow Handkerchief proves that not everybody can get a good performance out of Kristen Stewart, but she's solid here. (Also helpful, the real Jett served as producer to make sure the performance, including Stewart's guitar-playing and singing, was spot-on)."

P 148 - Maitland McDonagh - Miss FlickChick - "Twilight's sullen Stewart, former child-star Fanning and one-time Oscar-nominee Shannon are terrific; their performances are 100% snark-free. Both Fanning and Stewart nail the particular desperation born of living on the wrong side of a shatterproof wall that separates wealth, glamour and celebrity from parched despair, and they can sing. Jett, one of the film's executive producers, claims she mistook a tape of Stewart for one of herself."

P 149 - Marc Lee - Daily Telegraph - "Stewart is even better as the furiously smouldering Jett, who’s not a million miles distant in character from her Twilight persona, Bella."

N 150 - Marc Savlov - Austin Chronicle - "From a casting angle, Twilight's Stewart is a dead ringer for the tomboy-from-hell and queer icon Jett,...."

P 151 - Mark Adams - Screen International / At The Movies at Mirror.con.uk - "A fascinating and wonderfully evocative delve into 1970s rock'n'roll, with Kristen Stewart (hair dark and short) great as feisty rocker Joan Jett and ...."

N 152 - Mark Sells - Oregon Herold - "Coming into the film, there were immediate concerns about casting. In particular, could "Twilight" sensation Kristen Stewart pull off a badass original like Joan Jett? And could the precocious former child star, Dakota Fanning, redirect her innocent image into a drugged out bombshell like Cherie Currie? Unfortunately, the suspicions prove to be warranted. Soft spoken and sulking, Stewart clings onto introverted tendencies in a role that requires her to be more brash and larger than life. And Fanning fails to shake her pristine past as exemplified in "Dreamer" and "Charlotte's Web", projecting too much of a sublime goody too shoes rather than an addict and victim of abuse. Both of these roles are critical to the film's success and yet, neither is able to match the energy and flamboyance of Michael Shannon's Kim Fowley."

P 153 - Marshall Fine - Hollywood and Fine (TOP CRITIC) - "The movie is lucky to have Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett and Cherie Currie, ostensibly the stars of the band. Fanning makes Currie vulnerable, unhappy and susceptible to the numbing attraction of drugs. Stewart gets the rebel sneer of Jett, the rockin’ energy and disdainful pose."

P 154 - Mary Pols - Time (TOP CRITIC) - "a patronizing instructor tells Jett (Kristen Stewart, nicely punked out) in an early scene..." (She just talk about Dakota and her acting and say she was a scene stealer and a mini Mery Streep. So I will put it as "not given opinion")

P 155 - MaryAnn Johanson - Flick Filosopher (TOP CRITIC) - "Kristen Stewart (New Moon, Adventureland), as Jett, and Dakota Fanning (Coraline, Push), as Currie, turn in performances that are revelatory: the promise that they both showed as child actors (and which, in Stewart’s case, has not been well served by the Twilight phenomenon) crosses over here to genuine adult talent. My only fear for them: They’ll be frustrated in years to come when they realize that very few films are going to offer them the opportunity to express themselves like they can here, as women who are as fully human and as fully fucked up as men are more typically allowed to be onscreen."

P 156 - Massie Twins - Gone with the Twins - "As intense and impressive as Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart are in their respective roles of Cherie Currie and Joan Jett, the real star of The Runaways is the music."

N 157 - Matt Bochenski - Little White Lies - "Just as the band itself had something to prove, both Stewart and Fanning are aiming to cast off the shackles of public perception – as Twilight virgin and child prodigy respectively. It’s Fanning who impresses in the better role as a convincingly fucked-up wild child, adroitly tapping the interior crisis that makes Currie such a fascinating character. As Jett, Stewart is more sulky teen than rock goddess. It’s a distinctly one-dimensional performance that strikes exactly the same notes as Twilight’s Bella. It might be time to wonder whether Stewart has another kind of role in her at all. A bigger issue than the performances is Sigismondi’s treatment of the duo’s relationship. Much has been made of the sexual dynamic between Stewart and Fanning, but it seems ironic – or perhaps hypocritical – that a film examining the exploitation of a female band should concern itself so intimately with shots of two young actresses in knickers and T-shirts, sharing a publicity-generating lesbian kiss and an artfully discreet sex scene. The question is whether The Runaways interrogates Kim Fowley’s cynicism or echoes it."

P 158 - Matt Brunson - Creative Loafing - "Stewart and Fanning are both fine in their respective roles,..."

P 159 - Matt Kelemen - Las Vegas CityLife - "The Runaways could have been a great movie if the producers could have found a decent screenwriter. The story of Joan Jett's formation of the first all-female rock band during L.A.'s mid-'70s glam era should have been a biopic bonanza, with Twilight's Kristen Stewart nailing Jett's look, sound and slouch and Michael Shannon gleefully obnoxious as sadistic Svengali Kim Fowley. But by the time Jett and Fowley invite Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning) to try out for the band, problems surface and remain for the film's duration. .... Stewart and Shannon fare best, with Fanning going through the motions by the time the film's halfway point is reached. ..... Aside from Stewart transforming herself into Jett, once the band is formed, there is little about the film that captures the atmosphere of the time period."

N 160 - Matt Pais - Chicago Metromix - "The buzz: First-time feature writer-director Floria Sigismondi’s biopic scored at Sundance and definitely has a story worth telling. It remains to be seen if Stewart can shed the moodiness of “Twilight” and “Adventureland” to deliver real edge.
The verdict: "The Runaways" electrifies thanks to Shannon drooling over rock ‘n roll like an even sleazier Ari Gold, and Fanning, who perfectly balances budding sexuality and youthful naivete. Ultimately the film is sheer badass entertainment; it neither explores the battle of the sexes in rock music nor focuses on anyone but Currie or Jett, who's told early on, “Girls don’t play electric guitars." “The Runaways” simply snarls and rocks its way to showing how a bunch of teenagers changed that."

P/N 161 - Matthew Pejkovic - Matt's Movie Reviews - "Top lining is Twilight star Kristen Stewart, who does a good job pulling off the leather clad punk swagger which is Joan Jett. On stage with a guitar in her hand and she is a star. Yet offstage her self-deflating dourness ultimately lets the part down, Stewart to often clamming up and mumbling her dialogue through clenched teeth."

P 162 - Matthew Sorrento - Bright Lights Film Journal - "As portrayed by Kristen Stewart – who is wisely avoiding an early Twilight to her career – Jett appears as the rock that will remain. Never daunted, her Jett drops power chords and vocal confidence without a thought. It’s something of deep conviction in the role, and kudos go to Stewart for embodying both Jett’s confidence and physical presence. (To capture the distinct asexual-sexuality of Jett’s face is near impossible, so we can’t fault Stewart for the miss here.)
Cherie, as portrayed by Dakota Fanning, is another story. Anyone remembering the real figure will have a tough time letting the just-barely-past-tween Fanning step into the role. Think Fanning trying to fill out this frontwoman. Fanning has brought credibility to many youthful roles, but her Cherie has a fresh face that even the young source lacked. Fanning’s delicate reticence to taking the stage plays more like a reticent performance. It’s no small feat to play a tough girl before she found her toughness, but we wonder why (aside from the funding that her “heat” brought to the project) that Sigismondi didn’t gamble on an unknown."

P 163 - Matthew Turner - ViewLondon - "Stewart is equally good, capturing Jett's look, spirit and attitude, even if the character is frustratingly under-explored by the script. .... Despite a few wobbles, The Runaways is a stylish and enjoyable rock biopic with terrific performances from Fanning, Stewart and Shannon. Recommended."

P 164 - Melinda Newman - HitFix - "Stewart’s Jett is an intense teen who seldom smiles, but who knows what she wants and that’s to play her electric guitar. Gruff and sullen, she nevertheless has drive to spare and its her vision as much as Fowley’s that propels the band. Stewart, who, like Fanning, does her own singing and playing, sounds and looks remarkably like Jett. It’s one of her strongest performances so far as she captures Jett’s fierce work ethic and undiluted desire to play music free of gimmicks. Plus, we see her toughening exterior and gritty determination as the band withstands various assaults."

P 165 - Michael Phillips - Chicago Tribune (Top Critic) - "Stewart's Jett is paradoxically less mannered than some of her other screen portrayals, perhaps because Jett is such a righteous embodiment of teen fearlessness, as opposed to the heroine of the "Twilight" saga, a symbol of Waiting and Wanting. "Girls don't play electric guitars," Jett's music teacher informs her, chuckling. This is the sort of line every music biopic has, and it takes you right back to "The Benny Goodman Story," when the old-school Viennese instructor, upon hearing of Benny's late-night gigs, exhorted: "No! Benny! Not zat ragtime!"
Yet the corn doesn't corrode "The Runaways." The film invests real feeling in telling these intertwined stories. Currie was conceived by Fowley (and, implicitly, herself) as the trashy Valley version of Brigitte Bardot, while Fowley saw Jett's appeal as more complicated. It was, and is, and it's why The Runaways meant something beyond the packaging. The component parts of "The Runaways" are familiar — rehearsal scenes, backstage trysts, onstage triumphs — but it has an exceptional hangout factor. The characters and the performers simply are good company, even in extremis."

P 166 - Michael Smith - Tulsa World - "Kristen Stewart ("Twilight") and Dakota Fanning ("The Secret Life of Bees") portray Jett and Currie, respectively, and both are spot-on in capturing the spirit of their characters, if not the musical aptitude. Neither shows off vocals or musicianship outside of loud, head-banging performances, and yet both deliver authentic portrayals as music-loving teens. .... "The Runaways" is extremely successful in having its actors look like their characters, and Stewart is especially remarkable. That long black shag of hair and the eyes are perfect, but she truly nails the "I Love Rock & Roll" singer with her posture, as slumped shoulders give her that odd lurching movement of Jett's."

P 167 - Michelle Alexandria - Eclipse Magazine - "I’ve made my dislike of Kristen Stewart known to anyone who would care to listen, I’m big enough to admit when she does good work in The Runaways is strong. She still comes across as a poser – a spoiled suburban girl who desperately wants to show us her angst. The first 1/2 hour of Runaways, the biopic about Rocker Joan Jett, was a bit torturous to get through but once the movie gets going it becomes a fun movie about Girls making it in the man’s business called Rock and Roll. As Jett gets more confident as the movie progresses so does Kristen."

P 168 - Mick LaSalle - San Francisco Chronicle (TOP CRITIC) - "Stewart, known mainly for mumbling and stumbling through the "Twilight" movies, is the revelation here. She has made a meticulous study of Jett - of her posture, her manner, her expressions, even in the way thoughts cross her eyes. And she has Jett's stage manner down, the way this seemingly shy person assumes total authority when she gets up to play. The visuals help - the costuming and art direction are spot-on."

P 169 - Mike Scott - New Orleans Times-Picayune (TOP CRITIC) - "Fortunately, for Sigismondi and for her film -- for which she penned the screenplay -- she's got a top-shelf cast to hang her hat on. In addition to the always reliable Michael Shannon, who plays the band's flamboyant architect and manager, Kim Fowley, with a hilarious larger-than-lifeness, Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning both get a chance to shine. They play Runaways members Joan Jett and Cherie Currie, and they power the film through its lulls by the sheer force of their performances.

For her part, Stewart has Jett down pat: her strut, her slouch, her sexiness. This is a performance that goes far beyond Jett's shag haircut, and it's great to see Stewart -- who shot "Welcome to the Rileys" in New Orleans in late 2008 -- do her thing in a role that involves neither vampires nor werewolves."

P 170 - Mike Usinger - Georgia Straight - "The movie is powered by one good performance (Dakota Fanning as messed-up-on-multiple-fronts blond bombshell singer Cherie Currie) and two great ones. More than a jet-black shag haircut in leather pants, Stewart is eerily dead-on as Joan Jett, offering up a potent mixture of chain-smoking tough-girl swagger and fuck-the-world cockiness."

P 171 - Moira MacDonald - Seattle Times - "Told with a jolting, lurid energy, "The Runaways" feels oddly off-balance. Fanning, who's long had an eerie quality in movies (she always seems more in-focus than anyone else on screen), here throws herself into her role, letting us see how Cherie enjoys the sexual power of strutting around a stage in a corset, how guilty she feels about leaving her sister (Riley Keough) behind to cope with their father, how she finds the real world frightening and small. Out pour her issues, all over the movie, as Stewart strums an electric guitar somewhere else in the shot. We learn next to nothing about Jett except that she's a tough gal who loves to rock 'n' roll, and Stewart plays her as a deep-voiced enigma. Why did the one emerge as a star, and the other dissolve under the bright lights? (The real Jett, it's worth noting, is an executive producer of the film.)"

N 172 - Nathan Rabin - The Onion A.V. Club - "The dead-eyed talent vacuum that is Kristen Stewart co-stars as Joan Jett, a snarling badass whose tomboy attitude and songwriting perfectly complemented Currie’s purring sex kitten onstage, on record, and in bed."

P/N 173 - Neil Miller - Film School Rejects - "Speaking of Stewart, she plays Joan Jett, the lead guitarist and perhaps most enduring member of The Runaways. From the start, Jett was an intense, aggressive gal who wanted nothing more than to rock out in ways that girls weren’t supposed to do. Stewart captures the intensity perfectly, but never completely immerses herself in the character. She’s aggressive, sexual and all things rock-n-roll. And that’s enough to carry the film alongside Fanning."

P 174 - Neil Pedley - Just Press Play - "Showcasing the kind of range that the Twilight Saga simply doesn't permit, Kristen Stewart, exuding an effective mélange of feisty insecurity, takes on the role of Joan Jett, the street tough, trailer trash, valley girl irked by the constant establishment mantra that: "girls don't play electric guitar."

P/N 175 - Nicholas Sheffo - Fulvue Drive-in - (He don't talk about Kristen's performance, so... I'll put it as "indiferent")

N 176 - Nick Schager - Lessons of Darkness - "Jett (Kristen Stewart) is reduced by the film to a mere fashion-model cipher, defined by her leather jacket, matching black hair and too-cool-for-everyone nods, winks and bisexual come-ons. Stewart isn’t to blame for the fact that the character, stripped of a history or personality, is a nothing, but – despite avoiding her usual lip-biting – the actress nonetheless can’t even get the poses quite right, her every riot-grrrl act coming off as dress-up affectation. In the phoniness department, she’s matched by Fanning, who struts about in skimpy whore lingerie with the bruises and glassy eyes of a junkie, and unconvincingly spouts vile like “You’re nothing but a filthy pussy.”"

P 177 - Owen Gleiberman - Entertainment Weekly (Top Critic) - "Stewart nails Jett's sinewy swagger,..." "Early on, we see Kristen Stewart, as the black-shag-haired Joan Jett, in an L.A. boutique, where she has to coerce the saleswoman   into selling her a man's studded biker jacket. Stewart's casually likable, no-frills performance starts with Jett's tough-girl saunter — which is to say, the actress knows just how to walk like a skinny dude. At the same time, we meet Cherie (pronounced Sher-ee), who cuts her platinum hair into a David Bowie shag so that she can lip-synch to him at a high school talent contest."

P 178 - Patrick Kolan - IGN Movies [AU] - "However, it's the performances in The Runaways that made for the most memorable moments .... Stewart doesn't so much act as exude a dirty presence in every frame; she's charismatic visually, and when she eventually lets go and starts hurling bottles and letting loose, we see the ability she does her best to hide in Twilight."

P 179 - Patrick Z. McGavin - Cinema 24/7 - "A photographer and video artist, Sigismondi has a perceptive eye for compositional detail. She’s also very good at capturing the fragile, tentative interior consciousness of young women. She is helped immeasurably by the skilled and virtuoso performances of young actors Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning. They play the rockers Joan Jett and Cherie Currie, respectively. They mix the tender and volatile sharply and convincingly. They give the work both a hot wired intensity but also some emotional traction."

P 180 - Paul Byrnes - Sydney Morning Herald [AU] - "Fanning and Stewart give the band some core strength, especially Stewart, who makes you believe that for Jett, it was always about the music, not the clothes or the jailbait image."

N 181 - Paul GreenWood - Alone in The Dark [UK] - "Shannon has loads of fun as their off the hook manager, but Stewart is her usual underpowered self and Fanning outclasses her at every turn."

P 182 - Peter Bradshaw - Guardian [UK] - "The time passes; the seasons turn, summer turns to autumn and now Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart are playing rock chicks. And doing it pretty convincingly, what's more – Stewart, at any rate. This is the interestingly low-key, unhappy story of "the Runaways", the 70s all-girl band led by blonde singer Cherie Currie (Fanning), with Joan Jett (Stewart) providing lead guitar and rock'n'roll attitude. With her clump of black hair, leather jacket and high-waisted, flat-fronted blue denims, Kirsten Stewart has an eerie resemblance to Jett and when, in one scene, she takes her top off facing away from the camera, her back looks as broad and muscular as a weightlifter's."

P 183 - Peter Howell - Toronto Star (Top Critic) - "It reveals alchemy that continues today: the transformative power of three chords and an attitude not only made serious jam-kickers out of Runaways frontwomen Cherie Currie and Joan Jett, it also worked wonders on Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart, who play them in the movie.

Stewart applies her vampiric moodiness to rhythm guitarist Jett's tough-girl persona. She evokes the deceptive angel-face of Elvis '56 while simultaneously summoning the leather-wrapped sneer of a Keith Richards or Sid Vicious.

But Fanning and Stewart are the deserving stars of the film, nailing every last look and lick, holding their own even as Shannon savvily attempts to nick every scene.

There is also nothing but an end-note credit about Jett's post-Runaways success as leader of Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, a group arguably more deserving of rock hall honours and its own movie (with Stewart once again playing Jett, hopefully)."

P 184 - Peter Rainer - Christian Science Monitor - "Stewart and Fanning are intensely watchable."

N 185 - Peter Sobczynski - eFilmCritic.com - "Then again, perhaps it was a wise idea after all to concentrate less on Joan Jett since the other major flaw with “The Runaways” is the bizarre decision to cast Kristen Stewart, arguably the most relentlessly recessive young actress working today, in the role--there are plenty of words out there that could be used to properly define Joan Jett, but “recessive” is definitely not one of them. I have liked Stewart in most of her previous non-vampire-related performances (I urge you again to check out the underrated “Adventureland” as soon as possible) and she does get Jett’s look down pat--in some scenes, she is virtually a dead ringer--but she just lacks the fire and energy that the role requires. With her combination of attitude, intelligence and raw talent, Joan Jett is someone who needs to be played by someone who can instantly seize the screen to such a degree that she is compelling and magnetic even when the focus is off of her but with Stewart in the part, we are stuck with one who seems in danger of fading into the background even during the times when she is front and center."

P 186 - Peter Travers - Rolling Stone (TOP CRITIC) - "Stewart gives as good as she gets. .... And Fanning and Stewart, who do their own singing, seize the moment."

P 187 - Prairie Miller - NewsBlaze - "Dakota Fanning as fragile Currie and Kristen Stewart's pre-punk untamed tomboy Jett are bold, edgy impersonations as they disappear into their respective out of control real life personas, casting their own self-conscious notions of celebrity aside for the duration. But the problem is that the material is pretty thin and verging on afterschool special derivative, and hopelessly paling in comparison. Though it's refreshing to savor Stewart taking time out for a bit from that clinging female unrequited codependent leaning all over male magnet vampires and werewolves, which has been progressively wearing out its welcome."

P/N 188 - Preston Jones - Dallas Morning News (Top Critic) - ( He didn't like the movie. Beisde a little mention about Michael Shannon, he don't talk about the acting in his review. So... I will post this review "indifferent".)

P 189 - Ray Greene - Boxoffice Magazine - "The Runaways is far from a perfect movie, but there are moments when it comes about as close to catching the visceral kick of the pre-iPod rock experience as any film I’ve ever seen. It’s a natural born hit, especially given its Twilight connections (two of its young female stars are veterans of the tween vampire franchise). .... A man and a dark-haired teenage girl (Kristen Stewart, all glowers and leather as Joan Jett) accost Cherie in a glam-rock nightclub.

Calling this movie The Runaways is a bit of a misnomer because it’s less the story of the five member group than of a single friendship. Based on the memoirs of Runaways lead singer, Currie, but made with the strong participation of the band’s rhythm guitarist and principal songwriter, Joan Jett, The Runaways focuses on Currie aka “Cherry Bomb” (a bravura display of range and beauty from queen of modulation Dakota Fanning), Jett (a brave if limited performance from Kristen Stewart) and the unavoidable presence that is their eccentric manager and co-creator, Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon)."

P/N 190 - Rebecca Barry - Flicks.Co.NZ (NZ) - "Joan Jett's rock'n'roll story is ground-breaking one of art, liberation and power. But the cinematic portrayal of her life with lead singer Cherie Currie is inspid, emotionless and dull. Director and scriptwriter Floria Sigismondi, who based the film on Currie's memoirs, tries to inject a sense of aloofness in her teenage protagonists, played by a vacant Dakota Fanning and Twilight's Kristen Stewart, in a twitchy, boyish performance."

P 191 - Reece Crothers - Daily Film Dose - "The performances are uniformly excellent with leads Fanning and Stewart proving their acting chops and standing out among their peers as true actors in a sea of celebrities who are famous for being famous. There is something shocking and dangerous watching the veteran child stars emerge from the awkward teenage period (that most child actors don't survive) and you can't help but feel the authority of their work in dealing with precocious fame and all the pratfalls of excess that come with it. The film works almost as a love story between two artists and you couldn't ask for two actors with more chemistry, their very different energies complimenting each other extraordinarily well.

From the first frame in which she appears, Stewart inhabits Joan Jett. There is nothing of the Twilight Saga's Bella in her portrayal of the rock icon. Her mannerisms, the way she hunches her shoulders, the tough exterior, the drive to be taken seriously as an artist, the vulnerability, it's all over her face."

P 192 - Rene Rodriguez - Miami Herald - "Stewart nails Jett's physical mannerisms and insouciant attitude, and she uses her face and gestures to subtly capture the musician's natural intelligence and wisdom: When Fowley barks "What is our product? Sex! Violence! Revolt!" Stewart shows you how Jett knows, even at her young age, not to take this huckster seriously."

P 193 - Rich Cline - Shadows On The Wall [UK] - "A fascinating exploration of the effects of fame on young people, this true story is sharply directed and acted. .... Stewart is also terrific as the quintessential rock 'n' roll chick, with a steely edge that the Twilight movies never even hint at."

P 194 - Richard Knight - Windy City Times - "Shannon and the two teenage leads (who sing their own numbers and indulge in a sensual love scene) ably jump into the characters headfirst and though the excess and exuberance is countered by a fair amount of melodramatic heartbreak, jealousy, and enough tearful moments to smear the mascara of all and sundry, the movie works best when its focusing on attitude, outfits and the sleazy sex, drugs and rock-n-roll milieu circa 1975."

P 195 - Richard Roeper - Richard Roeper.com (Top Critic) -

P 196 - Rick Kisonak - Film Threat - "Sigismondi’s first mistake, in fact, is focusing on Currie, a vacuous blond Bowie wannabe, instead of on the Runaways’ most talented and enduring alumna, Joan Jett. The movie’s early scenes depict the fortuitous confrontation between the leather-jacketed young rocker — channeled to perfection by Kristen Stewart....

Stewart has the opposite problem here. She’s completely believable as Jett, but, until its final scene, Sigismondi’s script keeps her on a leash, relegating her to second string and denying her an opportunity to reveal the thunder god it’s fully apparent she’s born to be. Only in the movie’s last moments, which hint at her second coming as the stadium-filling leader of the Blackhearts (with “I Love Rock ’n’ Roll” blasting in the background) does she get her close-up. It’s a thrilling couple of minutes against which everything that precedes it unfortunately pales."

P 197 - Rob Thomas - Capital Times (Madison, WI) - "The rise if The Runaways is dazzling entertainment, as we watch the nervous teens slowly grow into confident rockers. Stewart and Fanning totally inhabit their roles to an almost frightening degree; Stewart just simply IS Joan Jett, from the petulant sneer to her raspy lyrics to even her slouched walk."

P 198 - Robert Glatzer - Movies101.com - "But the film is at its best during the shows; Fanning and Stewart are amazing, letting us see the young girls behind the rock stars. They really are irresistible when they perform."

P/N 199 - Robert W. Butler - Kansas City Star - (He didn't like much the movie and did his review based in the sexual side of it. He started his review with this: "Our 'Runaway' voyeurism: Dakota Fanning becomes a sexpot, while we watch". He don't write about the acting, so I will post it as indiferent.)

P 200 - Roger Ebert - Chicago Sun Times & rogerebert.com & blogs.suntimes.com/ebert (TOP CRITIC) - (at his blog at Sundance 2010) "Kristen Stewart proves once again that she's a rising star,..." and (at his Chicago SunTimes page) "The performance abilities of the Runaways won respect. The rest was promotion and publicity. .... Its interest comes from Shannon's fierce and sadistic training scenes as Kim Fowley, and from the intrinsic qualities of the performances by Stewart and Fanning, who bring more to their characters than the script provides."

P 201 - Roger Moore - Orlando Sentinel (TOP CRITIC) - "It lives and dies on the backs of three performances — Kristen Stewart is a ferociously sexy and butch Jett, Michael Shannon is a flamboyant and feral Fowley, and Dakota Fanning does her best to hang with them as the unhappy and confused 15 year old lead singer, Currie, Miss “Cherry Bomb” to a generation.
This is also where the movie is most focused on Fanning, who gives her most adult performance but is still not on a level with Stewart or Shannon. Stewart loses her lip-biting winsomeness and brings the heat as Jett. And Shannon, with all the best lines, walks off with the movie."

P 202 - Rubin Safaya - Cinemalogue.com - "Ms. Stewart and Ms. Fanning actually sang the songs performed in the film. This, as in the case of the 2005 Johnny Cash biopic, Walk The Line, doesn’t necessarily benefit the story as much as it makes for a good publicity line in the same way big stars always love to talk about all the stunts they do themselves—rarely wise since it’s less important to see their faces than to see a stunt done correctly. But I’m not sure this was a stunt. The director may have wanted to maintain the energy and amateurish nature of the characters throughout. At that stage in their careers, neither Jett nor Currie could have been praised for technical prowess.

Ms. Stewart’s speed-shutter blinking and destitute moping, as in the Twilight series, is held completely in check here. Contrarily, she’s always moving—restless, fidgety—almost hyperactive, fiddling with her guitar or rocking back and forth in between sets. Leaning in to almost kiss her in a roller rink bathed in crimson light, aptly set to the tune of “I Love Playin’ With Fire,” Joan seductively blows smoke into Cherie’s mouth. A kicky scene, it’s contrast against the latter’s descent into drug addiction, paralleled with her father’s alcoholism and amplified by her mother’s constant absence. The relationship depicted between Jett and Currie consists chiefly of stares and glances, seldom traversing more meaningful ground. Then again, I’m not sure it gets much farther than lust for two teenagers still discovering their sexual identities.

Critic Nick Schager argues that Ms. Stewart and Ms. Fanning don’t have the chops to come off as anything but affectations of tough. Reviewing early interview footage of the real Joan Jett and Cherie Currie, I’ve concluded that’s precisely what they were—kids, emulating an edge. Thousands of cigarettes before Ms. Jett destroyed her voice, she came off every bit as green in a Tom Snyder interview (The Tomorrow Show, 1977) as Ms. Stewart in the film. That same year, a shy, inarticulate Ms. Currie interviewed with a pair of hosts during their Japan tour. They weren’t hardened criminals. These were children who became internationally famous before they could mentally process the enormity of it."

P 203 - S. James Wegg - JWR - "a brilliantly dark portrayal by Kristen Stewart"

P 204 - S.T. VanAirsdale - Movieline - "Everyone got paid, from the actors to the sources, and if I were founding guitarist Joan Jett, played by Kristen Stewart in the film’s only wholly inhabited performance, I’d feel like I got more than my money’s worth. .... You have to love Stewart snarling at the fat, abrasive club managers who’d sooner rape the band than listen to them (let alone take them seriously). .... When the aromatic dust settles around The Runaways, and Fanning has returned to legitimate character-acting and Stewart has shed the angst so creatively channeled and despairingly squandered here, the historical record will show a Runaways myth featuring this film as it really is: Less than a footnote, less than a mistake, and nothing more than an utter waste."

P 205 - Sam Adams - IFC.com - "As much as for its characters, "The Runaways" is a rite of passage for its stars: Fanning, attempting to move beyond her preternaturally placid juvenile roles, and Kristen Stewart, whose volcanic Joan Jett runs hotter than the brooding teens she's played in, well, everything.

Stewart, on the other hand, makes a living by being a mess on-screen. Her emotions seem to pour out of her without passing through the filter of self-consciousness, an astonishing openness that can be mistaken for a lack of technique. As Jett, she's both available and impenetrable, a surefire recipe for rock stardom. She's closest to Currie, but she also shares a kindred spirit with the band's Machiavellian manager, Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon), ..."

P 206 - Sara Vilkomerson - New York Observer (Top Critic) - "The film, directed with a gritty eye by Floria Sigismondi, was surprisingly successful when it came to casting. Kristen Stewart, as Joan Jett, channels all of her weird, fidgety Twilight energy into a compelling, tomboyish figure of a girl/woman who just wants to rock as hard—or harder—as her male counterparts"

P 207 - Sarah Boslaugh - Playback:stl - "The Runaways is carried by standout performances from Michael Shannon as the possibly sinister and certainly exploitative record producer Kim Fowley, Kristen Stewart (yes, the Twilight girl) as Joan Jett and Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie as well as a pulsating soundtrack of songs by The Runaways and other bands of the period. .... Stewart as Joan Jett is a revelation: she’s a girl who knows what she wants and knows that she’s going to get it."

P 208 - Scott Mervis - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - "It's too bad because the director had a great cast in place to bring Ms. Currie's book, "Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway," to the screen.
The cast was in place for something more sweeping, ambitious and true to life. Ms. Fanning captures the naivete and fragility of Cherie (pronounced "Sha-REE"), who goes from not wanting to sing a certain sexual line in "Cherry Bomb" to ultimately performing it in a corset. "Twilight" star Ms. Stewart embodies the tougher Joan, who has rock 'n' roll coursing in her bloodstream, and Mr. Shannon makes the abusive Fowley as fun as he is offensive."

P 209 - Sean Axmaker - Seanax.com - "Kristen Stewart (confident, driven and a far cry from her Twilight persona) stars as aspiring rocker Joan Jett,..."

P 210 - Sean O'Connell - Hollywood News - "Stewart’s the right choice to play Jett, as both artists come across as social misfits visibly uncomfortable when the spotlight shines in their direction. The more Stewart shrinks inward – slumping her shoulders and cowering from our attentions, as is her tendency as a performer – the more it feeds Jett’s internal urge to express herself musically."

P/N 211 - Shawn Levy - Oregonian - "Sigismondi has two hot young actresses as her leads: Kristen (“Twilight”) Stewart as guitarist-songwriter Jett and Dakota Fanning as singer Cherie Currie, on whose memoir the script is based. It’s meant to be a coming-of-age for each performer, but neither is given enough complex material to play or, indeed, enough time to inhabit her role."

P 212 - Simon Miraudo - Quickflix - "Stewart has long been the best thing about the Twilight series, and that franchises’ biggest crime is that it gives her nothing to do. Not so here. Finally free of Bella’s (hilariously) passive sexuality, she is able to unload (so to speak).
The Runaways is indeed a lot of sexy, sexy fun. And thankfully Stewart and Fanning are good enough actresses to make the clichéd final act watchable."

P 213 - Stella Papamichael - Radio Times - "Following the blockbusting Twilight series, Kristen Stewart gets even moodier in this true-story drama, which marks the feature debut of music-video director Floria Sigismondi. Stewart plays the teenage Joan Jett, who burst onto the rock scene in the mid-1970s as lead guitarist of all-girl rock band the Runaways and later scored a solo hit with I Love Rock 'n' Roll in 1981. .... Essentially, this is Currie's sob story and it can feel too self-pitying at times, though the high-wattage pairing of Stewart and Fanning keeps it together."

P/N 214 - Stephanie Zacharek - Salon.com (TOP CRITIC) - "That unspoken restlessness is everywhere in "The Runaways," in the way Stewart captures Jett's slightly hunched, long-legged stride, and in the way Fanning's Cherie takes the stage during a show in Japan, wearing a creamy satin bustier and stockings, to sing the band's jailbait-heartbreaker anthem "Cherry Bomb.""

(She liked the movie. Her excelent review is about what means the movie and the '70s feeling. It about Cherrie Curry and what the director took from the book and what to say through her script. She don't talk about the acting in the movie but the feeling that I had when read it is that for her the acting was perfect for the story, not been necessary tp lost her time talking about it. So, I post ot as indiferent, because it is not said literally.)

P 215 - Stephen Whitty - Newark Star-Ledger (TOP CRITIC) - "As Jett, Kristen Stewart has found another part that lets her use her tough-but-tender sullenness — and lets her shock “Twilight” fans by playing a foul-mouthed, pill-popping lesbian.
Stewart, the best of the rest, tries hard here. Fanning briefly comes to life during one concert scene."

N 216 - Steve Persall - St. Petersburg Times - "Sullen punk Joan Jett (slouching dead ringer Kristen Stewart) and ...."

P 217 - Susan G. Cole - Toronto Now - "From the first startling shot, Sigismondi keeps things raw and super-energized. Fanning is weirdly flat as the star battling addiction, but Shannon is gloriously over the top as the band’s Svengali-like motivator. And Stewart is voracious as Jett, a welcome change from her glum Twilight persona."

P 218 - Thelma Adams - Us Weekly - "While Stewart's Twilight fans may wonder why she isn't front and center, she clearly is the movie's spine, its agile strength. As an actress, Stewart is already strong enough to be generous with her costars. (Speaking of, watch for a same-sex kiss between the leads!)"

P 219 - Tanzila Hamed - MTV IGGY! - "Both Stewart and Fanning give amazing performances, owning their characters in surprising and beautiful performances."

P 220 - Thomas Spurlin - DVDTalk - "If Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning were looking for a talent showcase, on top of a way to break apart from that corner pop culture has pinned them in, then The Runaways worked like a charm. Sex, drugs, and musical revolution are all cranked to 11 in this depiction of the all-girl band fueled by tweaked estrogen, and the film's dynamic duo gets the musty performances and tantrums down to a pill-popping, booze-guzzling fault.

Music-video director and photographer Floria Sigismondi finds authenticity in the blossoming eyes of Stewart and Fanning as we follow their meteoric swan dive ....

That's where The Runaways is at its best, when we're soaking in the raspy virgin vocals from Cherie and the growingly confident posture in Joan Jett, as they tackle aggressive performances at house parties, skating rinks, and other hazy spaces. During these scenes, it becomes clear why Floria Sigismondi felt comfortable with Stewart and Fanning in the central roles, because they embody the stage presence of Jett and Currie with a nimble and controlled manner. As they dodge cans tossed at one venue and, later, swagger on-stage with more rebellious fire in another, the opulent space-aware photography boost their performances into windows through time looking back at the band's higher points. Sigismondi captures that entrancing point in their swan dive, where the intensity of the action they're wrapped up in overwhelms the senses and drops stomachs in the moment.

Even as it stumbles through this going-through-the-motions rhythm, Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning take charge by pumping realness into these players riding the cusp of rock 'n' roll notoriety.

Where The Runaways really grabs a hold of its substance is within Stewart's impressive performance as Joan Jett, a second noteworthy turn after seeing her in The Cake Eaters. Her subtlety in recreating Jett's look, muted angst and thorny gender-split disposition crafts the closest thing to a spitting image that I could've expected from her, easily a far cry from her nondescript Bella from Twilight."

P 221 - Tim Basham - Paste Magazine - "Stewart is a fitting Jett, brooding her way through scenes much like she’s done in every film she’s made. Jett’s transition from Runaway to solo star serves as the obligatory sequence that sets up a too-tidy conclusion. But it works well enough for rock and roll. The Runaways’ magic wasn’t just in the music, or the producer, or the novelty of five lady rockers during disco’s heyday. It was the chemistry of its separate parts. Shannon, Fanning and Stewart are the lodestone that pulls this film together, much like The Runaways themselves."

P 222 - Tim Brayton - Antagony & Ecstasy - "Actually, just about the most unexpected and delightfully surprising aspect of The Runaways is its revelation that Stewart can be a perfectly good actress when she sets her mind to it - the same revelation is true of Fanning, but that was more of a "known" prior to now. Admittedly, neither of these young actresses is given many demands by the fairly un-probing screenplay (Stewart especially doesn't have to do much besides get pissed-off, though it's still more than she's done in the Twilight pictures or Adventureland), but they do what they must without fail."

P/N 223 - Tom Huddleston - Time Out [UK] - "Even the mainstream cast – including Dakota Fanning and pouty ‘Twilight’ misanthrope Kristen Stewart – seems to be having fun with the juicy riot-grrrl roles. Fanning is particularly impressive as exploited pubescent princess Cherie Currie, whose downfall forms the film’s central thread. But perhaps owing to Sigismondi’s lack of long-form experience, it never comes together. Isolated scenes look stunning but ‘The Runaways’ never establishes a consistent mood, hopping from rebellious exuberance to doom-laden music industry critique. It doesn’t help that the script’s central point, about the exploitation of young girls, is contradicted by the material – Joan Jett became one of rock’s most respected women – and undermined by a camera which lingers lovingly, even leeringly, on 16-year-old Fanning’s scantily clad body. The result is an entertaining mess: lively and stylish, but frustratingly inconsequential."

P 224 - Tom Long - Detroit News (Top Critic) - "Aside from following the clichéd (if real) storyline, "The Runaways" is plagued by something of a split personality, thanks to its two young stars.
Kristen Stewart ("Twilight") plays the young, ambitious Joan Jett, by far the most successful member of the band after it broke up. Stewart just plain nails the role -- she's tough, she's hungry and she loves playing rock star as much as she loves playing guitar. Stewart makes you want to watch the movie. That's the good news. The bad news is former child star Dakota Fanning playing Cherie Currie, the group's lead singer and underage sex bomb. By the film's end, you really wish you'd seen Kristen Stewart starring in "The Joan Jett Story." Now that would rock."

P 225 - Tony Macklin - tonymacklin.net - "Fortunately she is served well by two of her cast mers. Kristen Stewart (Twilight) is credible as the raven-haired Joan Jett. [You can see the actual Jett in a strong performance in Light of Day, 1987.] And Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road, 2008) is effectively crude and noxious as music producer Kim Fowley. Unfortunately, Sigismondi is not well served by Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie. Dakota was an engaging marvel as a child star -- mesmerizing and delightful. But she's basically bland as Cherie. She's too often a cipher. Her doe eyes do not have teen spirit. She has a difficult role because her character is caught between innocence and experience, between image and family. Dakota is not able to handle the range of these elements."

P 226 - Tricia Olszewski - Washington City Paper - "Twihards who sneak into The Runaways may scrunch their noses at Kristen Stewart’s latest role. Why does Bella have such a gross haircut? And her clothes are, like, totally stupid and make her look like a boy. OMG, now she’s kissing girls! Eww. There probably aren’t a whole lot of Twilight fans ready to side with Team Lesbian.

Ticket buyers who want to see whether Stewart can channel Joan Jett, however, will be pleased. Finally—finally!—the young actress has taken a decided step away from the franchise that made her both a star and a punch line. It’s a step that will remind audiences of the talent Stewart showed before Stephenie Meyer crashed her universe. In writer-director Floria Sigismondi’s debut, Stewart’s teenage Jett—née Joan Larkin—is hunched, fierce, and knows that, above all else, she wants to spend her life rockin’ out with an electric guitar."

P/N 227 - Ty Burr - Boston Globe (TOP CRITIC) - (His critic is now at the archive data base of the Bostob Globe. I researched and did not find any copy. If you hve or you have free access to the site, please get it for me! So... I only have the option of post it as "not given".)

P/N 228 - Tyler Foster - DVD Talk - "In the central roles, Stewart and Fanning are serviceable and even occasionally good, imbuing the characters with attitude and personality, but the film feels overly concerned with the timeline of events and the factual story of the band to give either of them room to breathe or to indulge in pure character moments."

P/N 229 - Victoria Alexander - FilmsInReview.com ´/ CriticsChoice.com - (She didn't talk about the acting in general and Kristen in her eview. She only say two expressions in all the review that you could considered as acting's talk: "It’s Dakota Fanning’s movie and she is terrific." "Shannon, eyes bulging, seems to have been allowed to let his freak flag fly." So, I will post it as "indiferent".)

N 230 - Willie Waffle - WaffleMovies.com - "Worst of all, you get the feeling Stewart and Fanning are little girls playing dress up. Watch the real Runaways then compare them to the movie Runaways and you'll notice the real ladies could kick your butt, while Stewart and Fanning might be better off in a ballet class."

P - 231 - What The Flick Show -
Cenk Uygur (host, The Young Turks)
Christy Lemire (AP Film Critic & host of Ebert Presents at The Movies) (Top Critic)
Matt Atchity (Editor-In-Chief Rotten Tomatoes) (Top Critic) (See what this guy talks about Kristen's performance) starts at 1:56.

Some Reviews from YouTube Users who do film's reviews

P - 232 - We Just Got Better

(This guys is good. I see a lot of his stuff. See what he says about Kristen's performance) starts at 2:52

P - 233 - FilmMasterAdam

Some new film critics review

P 234 - Spill - Spill.com

Well, that's it! I'll continue researching for more reviews but beside the listings from RT, MC, MRI, MRQE, I already added more than 30 reviews from the Google and Youtube that were not in these listings. There is a listing in the movie's IMDB page but this listing has a lot of users, as well as reviews from film critics in several languages. I will try to translate them with the help of friends or from anyone who would want to help in this task.

I hope that you guys really read, see and listen to these reviews! There are a lot of amazing things!

More than one think that she is a modern Brando and I agree with this. Rent some Brando's films and you will see what I am talking about. It doesn't appear that he did much in a scene but his presence was felt in each frame. A. O. Scott did an amazing review about Natalie Portman's performance in Black Swan and when he talked about her and several young actors were doing a thing that seems a new form of acting.

But in the end it all comes down to the actress, who seems, before our eyes, to be participating in the invention of a new kind of screen performance. In its various iterations, the Method has been about using voice and gesture to express a character’s deep psychological truth. Ms. Portman, like other young actors working with filmmakers who emphasize the visceral and the immediate, seems almost to reverse this process.

Which is another way of saying that she is both the black swan and the white, both the perfectly controlled performer and the pure creature of instinct.

After I read it, I agreed with him and at the same moment, Kristen's several performances came to my mind. Please, I am not comparing them because it would be ridiculous! One is 30 with 20 years of experience and the other is 20 with 10 years of experience! It makes a huge difference in therms of performances and life itself.

Another film critic said that Kristen's performance in Welcome To The Rileys was so raw, she was so open, so instinctive and that she had let the character to use her body in a way that someone could mistake it, for not have technique, but he didn't think so. Scott says the same about Natalie Potrman. Who knows he is right and we are seeing a new kind of actor...

But like I previewed above, there are a lot of reviewers that mixed her attitude with the paparazzi with her performance. It became ridiculous, how a so called professional film critic, called her by a name that gossip media and the paparazzi call her and also how can they say that they have been seeing her in a year in public and interviews and she always seems sullen, brooding and not smiling, putting her in a box, repeating the same old stuff. One of them even said that she does the same thing when she is acting. But I ask, if the character is in a scene that needs to be act sullen or brooding, what she should do?

I don't know what kind of interview these guys are seeing because in all the press junkets that I saw, she was always delicate, charming, thoughtful and very friendly. People need to stop bullying this girl and be more professional doing their homework before make a review.

Film critics love KRISTEN STEWART's performance in WELCOME TO THE RILEYS (ONLY 12 negatives out 124)

2011-01-30T19:47:00.235-02:00

Kristen Stewart in "Welcome to the Rileys"

Kristen Stewart was cast in Welcome to the Rileys before the Twilight movies became a cultural phenomenon. As was the case with The Runaways and also with Walter Salles' upcoming On the Road.

She was just 18 and still filming Welcome To The Rileys, when she had to leave the set of to do the promo tour for the first installment of the Twilight series. After weeks she returned to wrap up the filming but her world had been changed completely... The "Twilight Tsunami" had placed her in the middle of a big frenzy to which she certainly was not prepared psychologically.

Suddenly she was over exposed 24 hours a day, having dozen of paparazzi urging her take an angry pose, people bullying her like Perez Hilton, thousands of teenagers and also grown ups fighting over her, people from the entertainment and gossip business standardizing her without know her well or to have watched her body of work and from the Business itself, analysing all, each breath she took, each action and each word. She became a phenomenon herself! A brutal example of "over exposure"! If you put the name "Kristen Stewart" in to Google, you will have 26.600.000 results! She lost the human right of grow up as a person and as an actress before becoming a selfconscious adult and consecrated actress in the public eye.

People like Natalie Portman, Annette Benning, Hilary Swank, Michelle Williams between others, in the last two THR roundtables with the actresses, said that they thank God everyday for having had time to grow up as a person and as an artist, mostly away from the public eye! No one is born perfect in any way!

You will see below that this "over exposure" certainly interfered in the analysis of some reviewers.

Rotten Tomatoes (RT) had 60 reviews, MetaCritic (MC) had 29 reviews, Movie Review Intelligence (MRI) had 29 reviews and the Movie Review Query Engine (MRQE) had 40 reviews but some reviews are represented in the two or three or four of them, so in the end, we have much less than 158 reviews but there are also a lot of reviews that neither of these sites listed. In the end, we found 119 reviews from professional film critics, included 38 so call Top Critics).

P - Positive review (101 reviews)
P/N - Mixed review or not gave opinion or is indifferent (11 reviews)
N - Negative review (12 reviews)

The first lesson that we learned about film critics' reviews was: It doesn't matter how well the film was reviewed or how well it did in the box office, the review for the actor's performances is independent. So... You can't judge an actor's performance just looking the scores of the movie in sites like RT, MC, MRI or MRQE. You have to read all!

Lets start!

P 01 - Al Alexander - Milford Beacon - "...But then, with actors the caliber of Gandolfini, Leo and Stewart, how could he fail." "...They (the actors) bail him out at every ridiculous turn with performances that are as rich as they are heartfelt. But their greatest gift is their ability to inject realism into a story that could only take place inside a writer’s mind."

P 02 - Aldo Singer - Indie Media Magazine - "...To Stewart’s defense, she delivered a solid performance that all ‘Bella’ fans should take note of, she’s hardcore." ...The film could have used Stewart a lot earlier then when she entered. The more scenes Gandolfini and Stewart had together, the better this film became."

P 03 - Alexis L. Loinaz - Metromix.Com - "But a trio of superb performances..." "Stewart creates the loudest bang as a lost child who taunts Doug with "cooter" come-ons (her word) and a potty mouth..."
P 04 - Amanda Stefaniuk - UP Town Magazine - "A talented cast can make a good script great and an awful one bearable. In the case of this Sundance Festival darling, stars James Gandolfini, Melissa Leo, and Kristen Stewart — the Twilight ingénue proves she can emote when she wants to — make a mediocre story of damaged souls interesting. .... Stewart’s usual fan base may be shocked by her gritty role, but she does a commendable job of portraying the teen struggling to deal with the Rileys’ sudden affection."

P/N 05 - Andrew Schenker - Slant Magazine - (His review just talk about script and director's work. He didn't like at all the movie! Because of that, he don't talk about the performances! So... I'll put this review as "not given".)

P 06 - Anthony Breznican - USA Today (TOP CRITIC) - "Kristen Stewart's shocking depiction of a self-destructive 16-year-old stripper/prostitute in Welcome to the Rileys is bound to scandalize. Those who prefer her only as Twilight's lovestruck Bella may be shocked, while others who know her more nuanced work in films such as Adventureland will see a fearless new side of the actress confirmed. . . . Stewart deserves credit for taking the risk of playing this part. It's a shockingly sexual performance...For an actress like Stewart, it would be easy to play it safe. Knock out a romantic comedy or a Nicholas Sparks weepie while the vampire cash keeps rolling in from Twilight sequels. Instead, Stewart is challenging herself, and moviegoers, too."

P 07 - Ashley Ratcliff - Movie Media Magazine - "Stewart gives a remarkable performance in this drastic departure from her “Twilight” series role, while Gandolfini and Leo bring depth to their characters."

N 08 - Avi Offer - NYC Movie Guru - "but, unfortunately, Kristen Stewart could use some acting lessons because she’s unable to convincingly and organically tackle a wide range of emotions as Mallory transforms innately."

P 09 - Bags Hooper - Character Approved Blog - "Stewart is best known for her role as Bella Swan in the Twilight franchise. While this series is wildly popular, it doesn't really showcase the range Stewart has an an actor. Her role as a runaway in Welcome to the Rileys tests her prowess, and it's an overwhelming success. As Mallory, she expresses the pain and anguish of living a harsh life, while also giving voice to an orphan that subconsciously and desperately wants a family." "Stewart and Gandolfini are Character Approved for their on-camera chemistry. This is easily the most powerful role Stewart has played on film and we're looking out for more from this talented actor."

P 10 - Ben Kendrick - Screen Rant - "‘Welcome to the Rileys’ is a competent indie drama that offers great performances..." "Surprisingly, Leo’s scenes with Stewart are especially intriguing." "Any moviegoers who were expecting Twilight starlet Kristen Stewart to drag the entire project down with pouty melodrama, will only be half-right. There is plenty of hair flipping and lip biting, but the anxious and awkward character fits within Stewart’s repertoire – as well as the movie at hand. Sure, at times, Stewart seems over-eager, as if she knows that roles like Mallory are key to being taken seriously as an actress in her post-Twilight career. In general, she succeeds in holding the film together, though it’s hard to consider it a breakout role for her..."

P/N 11 - Beth McCabe - BigPictureBigSound.Com - "It's Ms. Stewart that seems a little out of place, and probabaly out of her depth, with her seasoned costars. Her stacatto delivery is abrupt at times, and not always suited to the dialog, though she does bring an awkward vulnerability to her role that seems to (mostly) fit."

P 12 - Betsy Sharkey - Los Angeles Times (TOP CRITIC) - "Stewart, who was cast in the film before the "Twilight" tsunami hit, continues to gravitate to characters that the world has roughed up, with Mallory a few shades darker than the actress' well-crafted young Joan Jett in "The Runaways" earlier this year. She just gets better at bringing a naked vulnerability to her performances. Here it's like watching a slide show of anger, pain, innocence, outrage and mischief play across her face."

P 13 - Bill Goodykoontz - Arizona Republic (TOP CRITIC) - "Too often we're taken out of the story and wind up watching the actors, not relating to them. Luckily for Scott, they're so good that it makes Welcome to the Rileys a more-satisfying film than it probably should be."

P 14 - Brian Orndorf - eFilmCritic.com - "...Stewart's tic-riddled, far-fetched work here (she's Runaway 101 with her smeared eyeliner and greasy hair) more palatable than expected."

P 15 - Capone - Ain't It Cool - "I have to admit, I didn't think Stewart really had it in her to surprise me, but as the foul-mouthed Mallory, she reminds me that there was a time when she was a strong actor and not just an accidental cultural icon."

N 16 - Cary Darling - Dallas Morning News (TOP CRITIC) - "Gandolfini and Leo play their parts with an exquisite sense of quiet pain. Never mind that the film should have been shorter or that Stewart, a long way from her days as the tortured Twilight teen, is a bit one-note. Welcome to the Rileys is a welcome surprise."

P 17 - Chris Bumbray - JoBlo's Movie Emporium - "...I like her, and I think that outside of TWILIGHT she's a great actress,..." "... Leo has a few really nice scenes with Stewart, where they establish a type of mother and daughter bond that is nicely splayed by both of them." "Of the three, Stewart probably has the most clichéd role, with her playing the young hooker with a heart of gold. Nevertheless, Stewart does a great job. Sundance has been very good to Stewart this year, with her showing up in two good films, and playing markedly different characters. She's actually a very good young actress, and I hope that her success in TWILIGHT means she'll continue to get quality films like this one made."

P 18 - Christopher Lloyd - Sarasota Herald-Tribune - "I'm personally of the opinion that those "Twilight" movies have been a net burden to Stewart's career. Watching her textured work here, in which she shows us Mallory's carefully constructed walls of defensiveness, it's hard to imagine this is the same actress moping around with vampires."

P 19 - Clark Douglas - DVDVerdict.Com - "I would mention what a pleasant surprise it is to see how good Kristen Stewart is in a role that actually challenges her, but then I've already seen her in The Runaways. Instead, I'll simply say that this is a film which further confirms how good she can be when the role requires her to be. She's impressively raw in her earlier scenes as the unapologetically slutty, vulgar runaway stripper, but what really impress are her moments of conflicted emotion later in the film. Stewart excels during those moments in which Mallory struggles to choose between her buried desire for safety and her fiercely independent streak. She plays very well off of her fellow cast members, particularly Gandolfini."

N 20 - Claudia Puig - USA Today (TOP CRITIC) - "Stewart's idea of inhabiting this part seems to be to scowl a lot and let her hair go unwashed. The Twilight star doesn't have the depth or emotional agility to go toe-to-toe with Gandolfini and Leo. She emerges as a wretched caricature"

P 21 - Cole Smithey - ColeSmithey.com - "as an actor's showcase for Melissa Leo, James Gandolfini, and the ever watchable Kristen Stewart than it does as a complete work of cinematic dramaturgy." "But it's Kristen Stewart's rebellious sensuality that fills the recesses of the melancholy narrative."

P/N 22 - Connie Ogle - Miami Herald - (She don't talk much about the actor, only talk about the characters because she thought the movie and the characters "too false to offer much hope...". She laments it because the good actors.)

N 23 - Dan Kois - Village Voice (TOP CRITIC) - "But Jake Scott’s Welcome to the Rileys is so underwritten that, despite a more energetic performance, Stewart makes much less of an impression." "... Try as Stewart might, she can’t turn this Manic Trixie Nightmare Girl into a real person."

P 24 - David D'Arcy - Screen Daily - "...this heartfelt portrait of loss and regeneration should enjoy exposure thanks to its marquee cast, enhancing the independent credibility of both Gandolfini and Stewart in the process." "...Gandolfini and Stewart bring energy and some fine nuances to the would-be father-daughter odd couple, even though Gandolfini’s mission to lift Stewart out of squalor and sin is a dramatic stretch. Spitting out curses, Stewart takes to the explosive role of a hooker who shows no interest in being tamed. While she isn’t breaking new ground here, she captures the entropy of a damaged angry child."

P 25 - David Edelstein - New York Magazine (TOP CRITIC) - "And Stewart is a mess. She has oily hair and a complexion that either went to hell or was made to look as if it did. She also twitches every second." "Her rapport with Leo’s Lois, moved to join her wayward husband, has that mixture of tension and ease that puts across the mother-daughter vibe without pushing it. These people seem truly at sea, settling for glimmers of hope amid the crushing quite-realness."

P/N 26 - David Fear - Time Out New York - "Both Gandolfini and Stewart shrug off the baggage of being tied to other iconic roles, though neither adds much to their parts"

P 27 - Dee Doyle - Starpulse.com - "While it has solid performances and an interesting setting, there seems to be something lacking." "...A lot of people are discussing this as a break out role for Stewart, and she did well. She did do her usual type casted pouty thing at times, but there was a lot of depth to Mallory that she genuinely brought out."

P 28 - Don Clinchy - Slackerwood.com - "I have some friendly career advice for Kristen Stewart: Kristen, it's time to invest the fortune you made from the Twilight movies (for investment advice, consult a financial advisor -- not a film critic) and refuse all future roles in Hollywood schlockbusters, especially those marketed to tweenage girls. You're rich. You're famous. So, now you can prove your acting bona fides in grown-up films like Welcome to the Rileys. Seriously, Kristen. I know Twilight's Edward Cullen is all sensitive and romantic and whatnot. But when you can so convincingly inhabit the role of a bitter teenage runaway turning tricks in a dank New Orleans strip club, you really don't need ol' Eddie Wussyfangs anymore. You have the acting chops to do much more, and it's time to move on." "...Welcome to the Rileys is a captivating film, thanks to the strength of its performances if not the plausibility of its story. Never mind that some of the characters' actions aren't fully explained; Stewart, Gandolfini and Leo are so dead-on that the story is more believable than it should be. Their intense, nuanced portrayals make us accept their characters' sometimes contradictory behaviors." "It's worth seeing for many reasons, if not for Stewart's performance alone."

P 29 - Drew Tinnin - Gordon And The Whale - "Kristen Stewart’s quirks serve her well here, but her ratty appearance and bipolar behavior lend themselves to a drug problem that we never get introduced to. The performance is bold and racy, and Stewart doesn’t seem self conscious at all throughout the film." "...the relationship between Gandolfini and Stewart is highly entertaining in most scenes and the two make a memorable onscreen pair."

P 30 - Elena Nola - BSCReview.Com - "Stewart was the best I have ever seen her, hands down. I think I’d have been slightly more impressed if I hadn’t seen her use the same stutter-method in Twilight, but at least Jake Scott answers for me one of the questions I’ve had about her as an actress since that first atrocity in the “saga”: what can she do with a competent director helping her characterize? She played surly, frightened, helpless-yet-determined-to-fight-it with aplomb. ...I will point out that drawing high-caliber performances with nuance and power from three people is a big statement from a first-time director about his abilities to connect his cast to his vision. ...I’m certainly curious to see what Jake Scott does next, and this was beyond competent for a first effort."

P 31 - Eric Ditzian - MTV Movies Blog - "Kristen Stewart is utterly fearless in "Welcome to the Rileys." That's the takeaway from the film's world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on Saturday afternoon. You can quibble all you want with her portrayal of a 16-year-old runaway turned stripper and prostitute. But you cannot walk away from a viewing and say the actress doesn't fearlessly expose herself physically and emotionally, and doesn't do so with astonishing maturity and believability." "...In 'Rileys,' Twilighters will find nothing so much to be shocked by, rather than the fulfillment of a promise Stewart has been hinting at since 2002's "Panic Room": the woman is a fine, fine actress."

P/N 32 - Eric Eisenberg - Cinema Blend - "While Stewart’s performance is tolerable at best, the biggest disappointment is Gandolfini."

P 33 - Eric Kohn - indieWIRE / The Wrap (TOP CRITIC) - "Kristen Stewart Redeems Herself" "Kristen Stewart’s status as the mopey face of gothic teenage angst in the “Twilight” franchise has easily overpowered the other achievements of her brief career. At age twenty, she has appeared in a number of thematically advanced character studies (“Adventureland” among them), suggesting the antithesis to the murky innuendo and hackneyed drama of the big screen vampire craze. More often than not, the Twilight movies downgrade Stewart’s talent from credible understatement to a plastic vision of post-adolescent frustration. In Welcome to the Rileys, the second feature from music video director Jake Scott, Stewart delivers the legitimate version of that archetype with a role that rejects commercial standards." "One of the higher profile stories in the weeks leading up to the Sundance Film Festival was the presence of Kristen Stewart in two movies, neither of which featured vampires or werewolves. The "Twilight" star has essentially gone back to her roots by appearing in two independent productions, much as she did for several years before getting involved with a big scale franchise. .... Fortunately, Stewart's acting abilities are on full display in her other Sundance offering, "Welcome to the Rileys." .... As a foul-mouthed underage stripper, Stewart risks making a spectacle of herself, but she remains intriguingly subdued in a manner that lends mystery and layers of depth to her character. .... The directorial debut of Jake Scott, it both displays his potential and reminds audiences why Stewart was so alluring in the first place."

N 34 - Erik Childress - Cinematical - "But thanks to an earnest performance by James Gandolfini anchoring it, we can almost forget the weight of Kristen Stewart dragging it down with every hair flip and tug." "...The same can't be said for Kristen Stewart though. Set aside how grown up she has become since Panic Room to be taking on more adult material (she has offered herself sexually one way or another in The Cake Eaters, Into the Wild and in some vampire series about abstinence, amongst others), it doesn't mean she has matured as a performer. Someone must remind her that if you are going to resort to a bag of tricks, the proverbial pouch must be pluralized with material. Hair-grabbing, protruding your face in anger and making an unprovoked bounce in-between thoughts may be more than one trick in expression, but they are singularly Stewart. And the more they turn up, especially when acting alongside one pro becomes two, it turns Mallory into a caricature of Stewart's entire resume instead of becoming her own genuine character."

P 35 - Film-Book - film-book.com - "Welcome to the Rileys is the film that currently contains the best dramatic turn for Kristen Stewart to date."
Kristen Stewart’s best scene in the film involves services rendered, something sexual she won’t do, and a theft. She is livid, angry, turning to the only real friend she has. She’s bouncing all over the space as a bystander stares and Doug tries to calm her down. Then there is a realization and Mallory breaks down. Stewart’s fright acting in The Messenger was good but it is nowhere as good as her self-hatred and sorrow delved into here. Mallory is a beaten down human being, bludgeoned repeatedly by her own continuous deleterious actions, much like Randy “The Ram” Robinson in The Wrestler."

P 36 - FilmJabber - filmjabber.com - "People trash Kristen Stewart because of Twilight, but it's her little movies - the dramas that have dotted her short career - that remind us just how talented the actress really is. Welcome to the Rileys is just one more of those reminders. .... Stewart is excellent as the troubled teenager, a girl who masks her innocence and naivety about the world with crudeness and impulsiveness. Stewart embodies her character, locking onto the emotional core of a seemingly unsympathetic character. .... More importantly, he (Gandolfini) and Stewart have amazing chemistry with each other. The tug-and-war relationship between the two is extraordinarily engaging, one that grows and evolves in unpredictable and sometimes grating ways."

P 37 - Frank Swietek - One Guy's Opinion - "But the film does provide the stars with an opportunity to explore facets of character unlike the ones they usually portray." "Stewart sheds the morose gloom of her Bella in the “Twilight” series, but overcompensates by overdoing the facial tics and grimaces here."

P38 - Gary Karbon - Culture Feast - "But Melissa Leo as Doug’s depressed wife Lois and Kristen Stewart as a teenage hooker also excel beyond description. Why I haven’t heard the names of these amazing actors before; I have no idea. But I’m sure we’ll hear about them frequently in the future, especially Stewart given the fact that she is still so young and in the early years of her career. May it be a long one. I think she’ll fill in the shoes of Marcia Gay Harden nicely. Stewart is another Natalie Portman or Michelle Williams in the making."

P 39 - Gary Thompson - Philadelphia Daily News - ""Rileys" isn't believable for a second, but it's often watchable, thanks to its hardworking cast. It's fun to watch Stewart step out of her "Twilight" chastity belt and have a go at this hooker role, spitting out dialogue that has about 30 synonyms for various parts of the female anatomy. As Mallory, she talks candidly about the parameters of her job, stipulating that she will not have sex with German shepherds. Which I think is very bad news for Team Jacob."

P 40 - Graham Fuller - In A Lonely Place or Huffington Post (TOP CRITIC) - "But Stewart makes Mallory, the girl in Rileys, so defensive and evasive, so willing to offer a lap-dance or oral sex in lieu of explanations, that we know she has a history fraught with traumas, desertions, and betrayals." "Following Stewart's stealthy, brooding Joan Jett in The Runaways, her performance in Rileys further complicates the actress's image, which has been founded on passivity and a certain wryness. Not that Bella is archetypal. In making her moodier and less knowing than most high-school movie heroines, and bequeathing her her own shyness, Stewart has maintained the character's elusiveness; no mean feat to pull off over the course of three tentpoles..." "...As damaged as Mallory is, Stewart gives her the bitter integrity of someone who, having made her squalid bed..."
"One of the byproducts of the huge media attention focused on Stewart -- specifically her relationship, whatever it is, with Robert Pattinson, her Twilight co-star -- has been the obscuring of her talent. Few critics have analyzed her understated style or the way she dominates the frame without appearing to do or say much. There are actors Stewart's age as beautiful as her, but none as compellingly reticent. In Welcome to the Rileys, as in the Twilight series and such diverse films as Into the Wild, Adventureland, and The Runaways, Stewart's acting has a steady pulse that's interrupted by sudden violent zigzags of emotion. She has no idea why her presence is so muted."

Second review at The Art Desk, in November/16/2011, for the release of the movie on UK

P40-1 - Graham Fuller - "As supremely silly as they are, the Twilight movies are made watchable by Kristen Stewart’s Bella Swan, whose combination of fidgetiness and aloofness puts me in mind of James Dean’s Cal Trask and Jim Stark. If not as virtuosic as Dean (she's as beautiful), Stewart has made Bella as potent an empathy-figure for today’s alienated teenage girls with Gothic fantasy lives as Dean made Cal and Jim for would-be rebellious youths in the Fifties. You can fully understand why she has millions of female fans.
With her latest role, however, Stewart flies in the face of Bella’s virginal cool by bravely playing a character with whom only a lunatic would identify. The risk to her popularity was minuscule since the Twilight legions were never going to turn up to watch Jake Scott’s Welcome to the Rileys when it opened in the US a year ago: it made just $153,000 domestically.
Foul-mouthed and feral, the kohl-eyed stripper-prostitute portrayed by Stewart in Scott’s indie is a battery of neurotic tics: Mallory nibbles her fingers, scratches her undefined lips, and shakes one foot mechanically. There are bruises on her calves from pole dancing. Her hair is unkempt, her skin waxy. In her wilful self-neglect, she is pitiful.

Strung-out and slummocky, Mallory is more convincing than the film itself

This 16-year-old apparition could, in a different life, be Bella’s sister - the promiscuous one who acted out and vanished, leaving Bella uncertain, unsmiling and ill-equipped to deal with rejection. There’s no such sister, of course, in the Twilight movies to rationalise Bella’s depressiveness, isolation and her attraction to the undead and the vulpine - though part of it stems from her parents’ split. But Stewart makes Mallory so defensive and evasive, so willing to offer a lap dance or oral sex in lieu of explanations, that we know she has a history fraught with abuse and betrayals.
Following her stealthy, brooding Joan Jett in The Runaways, her performance in ...Rileys complicates the actress’s image, which has been founded on passivity and wryness. Not that Bella is archetypal. In making her moodier and less knowing than most high-school movie heroines, and bequeathing her her own shyness, Stewart has maintained the character’s elusiveness; no mean feat to pull off over the course of three blockbusters (with the fourth out this week and the fifth due this time next year)."

P 41 - Gregory Ellwood - Hitfix - ""Welcome to the Rileys" features fine performances by stars James Gandolfini, Melissa Leo and Stewart,... Stewart has the gutsiest role as she shows a sexual side she's never displayed to this level before. Fishnets, huge high heels, some revealing rear end shots and running around in her underwear aside, Mallory/Alison is a foulmouthed kid who will pretty much do anything but one specific sexual act not prime for publication. And yes, you'll words come out of Stewart's mouth you may never hear again over what should be a long cinematic career."

P 42 - J.R. Jones - Chicago Reader - "...yet this modest three-hander is capably acted and genuinely touching."

P 43 - Jack Giroux - The Film Stage (TOP CRITIC) - "... But due to subdued and patient direction from Jake Scott and a trio of terrific performances, Welcome to the Rileys is a film filled with well-earned heart. ... Mallory is similar to Doug and Mallory, but her emotions are more furious and uncontrollable. Stewart holds her own with Gandolfini and Leo once again proving when she’s outside of the Twilight universe, she’s capable of so much more."

P 44 - Jake Coyle - Associated Press (TOP CRITIC) - "The scenes between Doug and Mallory are the best thing in "Welcome to the Rileys," which was written by Ken Hixon. Gandolfini, with a believable and not overstated Southern accent, plays reformer. Stewart, in what may be her best performance yet, warms to his caring while vacillating between hard rage." "But she's a captivating blend of fragility and strength. It's obvious that Doug's attempts to tame her can only partially successful."

P 45 - James Verniere - Boston Herald (TOP CRITIC) - "What makes "Welcome to the Rileys" watchable is the cast." "Stewart, who was terrific earlier this year in the neglected Joan Jett biopic “The Runaways,” again goes out on a limb, stretching beyond Bella’s cooing, kvetching teen angel. She first appeared on the radar as the daughter in David Fincher’s “Panic Room” (2002), and is convincing as a girl who has been forced by biology and circumstance to live by her wiles, however recklessly. Stewart’s desire to grow as an artist is enough to make you shout: Go team Kristen!"

P 46 - Jay Seaver - eFilmCritic.com - "Kristen Stewart also turns in decent work as Mallory; even as she gets pushed from lead to supporting character over the course of the movie, she keeps the girl an consistent but changing individual." "The cast does well enough in their roles, although this movie isn't likely to be a career highlight for any of them." "It's got decent performances, although I suspect that the actors could have delivered even more had the movie left some of its fits a little less perfect and polished its rough patches a little more."

P 47 - Jeannette Catsoulis - NPR (TOP CRITIC) - "Proof positive that even the most shambling movie may be rescued by fine acting, Welcome to the Rileys is a defiantly cheery title for an achingly bleak story." "As for Stewart, her nuanced and mature grasp of this broken character is impressive. But after pouting and brooding through the Twilight franchise, we can only hope her next project gives her some reason to smile."

P 48 - Jeff Leins - NEWS IN FILM - "Stewart delivers the sort of gritty, impressive turn she typically brings to her indie roles, and a confident, saucy alternative to her awkward, chaste Twilight lead."

P 49 - Jen Yamato - Movies.Com (TOP CRITIC) - "...To his credit, director Jake Scott (spawn of Ridley) is unafraid of painting an ugly picture of the world, and even less afraid of plopping his respectable actors into the worst of it. He films the hyper-twitchy Stewart, frequently half-clothed and garishly made up, in sleazy strip clubs, illicit motels, and flophouse digs with relish; she, in turn, displays an admirable commitment to embracing her character, facial blemishes and bruises and filthy hair and all. Welcome to the Rileys is the Twilight starlet’s grimiest role to date – and in a year that saw her puke and party as Runaway punk rocker Joan Jett, that’s saying something."

P 50 - JimmyO - iamROGUE - "Kristen Stewart is clearly the one to watch here. Since taking on Bella in the Twilight Franchise, it seems she has had to prove herself more than most young actresses. In ‘Rileys’, she still pulls at her hair and has a sly nervousness that she evokes. Yet in nearly all her non-Twilight features, she offers a sort of vulnerability which you just can’t fake. Her relationship with James is very touching and sometimes very real. Once Melissa’s character enters “Mom” mode, there is an even more delicate and heartbreaking mother/daughter bond. Gandolfini, Leo and Stewart are well and able to carry this story pretty far, and it truly is a success for that reason."

P/N 51 - Joe Morgenstern - Wall Street Journal (TOP CRITIC) - "Mallory is marginally interesting at best; the harsh reality is that she's an infantile slut. And Ms. Stewart's performance is unsurprising. She's a talented young actress—her work in "Into the Wild" demonstrated that—and a spectacularly successful one by virtue of the "Twilight" vampire sagas. But she sometimes mumbles and often rushes her lines; one hopes that success hasn't cut her off from the direction that almost every young actor needs."

N 52 - Joe Neumaier - New York Daily News (TOP CRITIC) - "The only saving grace is the larger-than-life presence of James Gandolfini. He helps balance the buzzkill of Kristen Stewart, who gives another empty-eyed, surly-as-garlic turn, just as she does in the "Twilight" movies and pretty much everything else." "Doug and Mallory's friendship, though, might as well be sketched on the back of a cocktail napkin. She's a trash-mouthed street kid, and Stewart chooses to make her snarly and phony as well. If the movie's silver lining weren't inevitable, Mallory may have earned her edge. Instead, it seems like Stewart is doing a little one-act that requires her to merely find the most immediately readable tone, and she simply sticks with that."

P 53 - Joey Magidson - Awards Circuit (TOP CRITIC) - "Both James Gandolfini and Kristen Stewart give nomination worthy performances in the flick. ....Stewart is just as good, and her foul mouthed and overtly sexual role should prove without a shadow of a doubt that she’s more than just Bella Swan. Some of her tics that annoy her critics are still here (I’m not one of them, as I adored her in ‘Adventureland’ last year), but they make sense for this character. She breaks your heart on more than one occasion, but Stewart is so convincing that you never quite lose the sense that she’s a dangerous person. Some of the plot points for her character are standard issue stripper/hooker points, but Stewart sidesteps the dangers inherent in those and creates an incredibly memorable portrait of a wayward youth." ".....‘Welcome to the Rileys’ features 4 star acting, 3 and a half star directing, but only 2 and a half star writing." "....I was blown away by some of the acting in this film, and I think you’ll find it to be exceptionally strong as well. This is a deliberate piece of cinema, so know that, but it’s a rewarding experience overall."

P 54 - Jeffry Wells - Hollywood-Elsewhere.com (TOP CRITIC) - "Pudgy James Gandolfini is excellent in his usual unforced way, and Kristen Stewart matches him move for move."

P 55 - Justin Strout - Orlando Weekly - "Kristen Stewart proves yet again she’s most comfortable in indie world" "... Stewart, whose non-Twilight resume continually affirms her next-Jodie-Foster thesp status, Scott proves he’s as shrewd as he is talented. Stewart’s twitchy, unfiltered turn is ferocious in its simplicity; her refusal to apologize or explain why her character behaves the way she does shows Stewart to be an intuitive actress capable of holding the screen in a way no other young starlet has quite learned how." "... the sexless father-daughter relationship between Doug and Mallory is captivating whenever we go back to it, so raw is Kristen Stewart and so capable of absorbing abuse is Gandolfini. These two really deserve their own movie."

P 56 - Karen Bernadello - shockya.com - "...Stewart proves that she’s at her best in smaller, independent movies. Much like her other independent drama released this year, ‘The Yellow Handkerchief,’ Stewart proves she can truly develop a role that isn’t based on a popular book character, like Bella from ‘The Twilight Saga,’ and expectations to play her a certain way. She made Mallory relatable by showing her pain of being out on her own, struggling to survive."

P 57 - Keith Cohen - Entertainment Spectrum - "James Gandolfini ("The Sopranos"), Kristen Stewart (best known as Bella Swan from "The Twilight Saga" movies) and Melissa Leo ("Conviction" and the upcoming "The Fighter") put on an acting showcase in this emotional story of damaged individuals." "... Stewart shows her versatility in stepping out of her comfort zone. She previously demonstrated her acting chops in the little-seen "The Yellow Handkerchief" (2008), now available on DVD and also worth checking out."

N 58 - Kimberly Gadette - Indie Movies Online - "Welcome to the Rileys welcomes us to look anew at both Jake Scott and Kristen Stewart." "... As for Stewart, she plays a pouty teen who bridles when adults suggest choices other than self-destruction. Ah, well -- so much for Stewart branching out, deviating from the kind of character she usually plays ..."But her scenes falter when she plays against Stewart's Mallory, who can't come close to matching Leo's depth. It's as if the actress' features were dipped in Teflon ... and the only visible changes on her face have much more to do with make-up than emotion."

P 59 - Kirk Honeycutt - Hollywood Reporter (TOP CRITIC) - "the film feels old-fashioned and somewhat removed from contemporary indie filmmaking. "Twilight" starlet Stewart should deliver a curious audience -- and she certainly satisfies that curiosity -- yet no one s hould anticipate much theatrical business. The movie will gain better traction in VOD and DVD." "but Ken Hixon's screenplay does serves as a blueprint for three fine performances." "Kristen Stewart came to town with two films (The Runaways & Welcome To The Rileys) and I think there was the kind of feeling of "Lets see what that Twilight's girl can really act!" I think that is misplaced because at 19 she is already a veteran!" "She done a very good job here!"

P 60 - Luke Bonanno - DVDizzy.Com - "Boasting strong performances and an engaging script, Welcome to the Rileys proves to be an interesting drama."

P 61 - Laremy Legel - Film.com (TOP CRITIC) - "Kristen Stewart and James Gandolfini give outstanding performanes for director Jake Scott" "On the acting front, Stewart is a live wire throughout the near two-hour running time presented here. She comes off like a rabid dog, completely unpredictable; it's easy to see why directors see so much potential in her work. She's great here." "See it for Stewart's electric performance, Galdolfini's papa bear strength, or to scout an up-and-coming director in Jake Scott."

P 62 - Larry Richman - Independent Film Analysis - "Most of all, Welcome to the Rileys is character-driven, with Leo, Gandolfini, and Stewart each owning their roles with an intensity that never wanes. ... Stewart takes risks which would be daunting to actors twice her age. Brash and offensive, her Mallory is like a wild tigress in heat that's escaped from the zoo and evades capture at every turn. This could be her most shocking and memorable performance yet."

P 63 - Leah Rozen - The Wrap (TOP CRITIC) - "If you’re at the gym stretching is good for you. If you’re an actor … not so much. While acting by its very definition implies constant change and range, the most successful of stars often find themselves confined to a straightjacket of sameness. Audiences want to see them playing the same role over and over again, with only the slightest variation from project to project. ...The case of Gandolfini and Stewart, of course, is different than Roberts, Bullock et al. He has never been a major movie star -- he was a supporting actor on screen before finding fame on the small screen -- and she was already considered a talented young actress pre-‘Twilight,” having given impressive and wide-ranging performances in “Panic Room” and “Into the Wild.” In the minds of their fans, though, their images are fixed. He’s Tony Soprano and she’s Bella Swan. Both are long way from the characters they play in "Welcome". These are actors who know what they’re doing, do it well and rarely push too hard."

P 64 - Lisa Schwarzbaum - Entertainment Weekly (TOP CRITIC) - "As an original indie drama, though, the overload of soapsuds (and the production's excessive attention to on-location squalor) at times overwhelms the earnest performances of the three very good lead actors, who work hard to convey the feelings of loss and loneliness that come from lack of communication. Incidentally, Rileys has been casually dubbed ''Kristen Stewart's stripper movie,'' but the handle doesn't stick: Stewart may wear skimpy clothes and grind once or twice from the neck down, but from the neck up she's all hollow, bruised eyes, twisted little mouth, and classic, coltish K-Stew rebellion."

P 65 - Leonard Maltin - Maltin on Movies - Rellz Channel -

P 66 - Lou Lumenick - New York Post (TOP CRITIC) - "Audiences tend to avoid Kristen Stewart's non- "Twilight" movies like vampires fleeing daylight. Believe me, it's their loss." "Welcome to the Rileys," her latest, is another gritty indie drama from Sundance that will likely disappear as quickly as the underappreciated "The Yellow Handkerchief" and "The Runaways" earlier this year. Which is a shame, because Stewart's intense, courageous performance as a 16-year-old New Orleans prostitute is really something special."

P 67 - Luke Y. Thompson - Eonline - "As a runaway-turned-sex-worker, Stewart gives the kind of raw performance those of us who'd practically fallen asleep during her comatose Twilight line readings forgot she was capable of. Perhaps her experience as a child actor was fraught with equivalent perils, but whatever she's tapping into here, it clearly hits her nerves, and ours."

P 68 - Manohla Dargis - New York Times (TOP CRITIC) - "As she has elsewhere, Ms. Stewart twitches her way through too many scenes, a habit that might become difficult to shake. But she’s an exceptionally appealing screen presence, and she makes Mallory’s confusion — the swings between vulgar braggadocio and clutching vulnerability — reverberant and real."

N 69 - Marc Mohan - Portland Oregonian - "but Stewart seems stuck in the same sneering, pouty mode she's practically trademarked."

P 70 - Marjorie Baumgarten - Austin Chronicle - "Terrific performances can’t save this preposterous film from itself, but they do make it more bearable to watch." "After so much time playing the professional virgin in the Twilight movies, it’s nice to see Stewart play a character with pimples, bruises, and self-inflicted scars."

P 71 - Mark Dujsik - The Parallax Review - "The obviousness isn’t an inherent fault to the movie, which features a trio of fine, if equally obvious, performances. It doesn’t help much, though. ....Even with a more focused third act, the writer/director relationship of Welcome to the Rileys still comes across as confused from what’s on screen, though. That and the work of Gandolfini, Leo, and Stewart as the dysfunctional faux-family don’t make the inevitable “dad” work, but they do make it tad easier to accept."

P 72 - Marshall Fine - Hollywood and Fine / Huffington Post (TOP CRITIC) - "Stewart, by contrast, is all jagged edges and instinct." "Stewart attacks her role with a clarity and ferocity that is compelling. Stewart brings an emotional nakedness and spirit to the role that is reminiscent of certain male actors when they were young: Sean Penn for one, Leonardo DiCaprio for another."

P 73 - MaryAnn Johanson - Flick Filosopher (TOP CRITIC) - "The performances all around are great: ... Stewart proves she’s got real chops, as she did with The Runaways, when she’s got something meatier than a vampire romance to, um, sink her teeth into..." "... there’s some nice near-mother-daughter interactions between Leo and Stewart..."

P 74 - Matt Pais - Chicago Metromix - "This isn’t a movie; it’s acting practice. Obviously Stewart, Gandolfini and Leo took the roles for individual challenges and not for the actual movie, which backs away from a psychologically complicated situation that becomes more creepy than moving. Stewart’s performance identifies something strong hidden within a beat-up teenage runaway,..."

P 75 - Michael - Online Movies Hut - "The promising factor in the movie is Kristen Stewart who takes a break from her well known role as the vampire sweetheart to become a troubled young woman. As Mallory Stewart plays a major role in Welcome to the Rileys since it is her character that generated much of the drama in the movie. She comes with an electrifying performance that shows her true potential and this will be a landmark in her career." "One of the highly commendable factors to be mentioned in Welcome to the Rileys movie review should be the brilliant performances done by main three leading stars." "...Kristen Stewart had gone on to prove that she can go beyond character of Bella Swan because her role as a troubled teenager has been rather convincing."

P 76 - Michael Merlob - Fused Film - "Kristen’s Stewart’s portrayal of girl yearning for guidance in spite of her poor lifestyle choices is honest and frank."

P/N 77 - Michael O'Sullivan - Washington Post (TOP CRITIC) - (He didn't analyse the performances just the script. So I will consider as indiferent, because he really didn't like the movie and didn't think it was important the level of the performances if the script was so bad.)

P 78 - Mick LaSalle - San Francisco Chronicle (TOP CRITIC) - "And it's a pleasure to see Stewart ("Twilight") not trying to navigate sex with a vampire or a werewolf, but as a young actress, impressive with her quirky timing, unexpected line readings and expressive eyes. She doesn't go in for sentiment - at all. Actually no one does here, which means this is director Jake Scott's doing, too, and he deserves the credit."

P 79 - Mike Scott - New Orleans Times-Picayune (TOP CRITIC) - "'Welcome to the Rileys' built around surprising heart, strong performances." "It's not surprising that it's good, mind you. With a cast boasting James Gandolfini and Kristen Stewart, it would be hard for it to be downright bad." "an impressive showcase for the daring and eager-to-grow-up Stewart." "Without the fantastic performances from Gandolfini, Stewart and Leo, it wouldn't hold together nearly as well as it does."

P/N 80 - Nancy Kim - Blast Magazine - "Stewart, widely known for her awkward, dark and edgy acting, isn’t exactly groundbreaking nor is she inappropriate for the role of Mallory. She is passable as the lowly, unfortunate teen, but it’s her wardrobe (or lack there of) that characterizes a more obvious portrayal. Being the catalyst that brings Doug and Lois back together, you want Mallory to be more than the skimpy outfits and dingy actualization but Stewart’s inability to add depth makes it difficult. It seems that Stewart hasn’t stretched her acting ability beyond the realm of “Twilight,” “Into the Wild” and “The Cake Eaters.” ...While Stewart gives a fair performance, it’s Gandolfini and Leo whom you need to watch out for."

N 81 - Nathan Rabin - The Onion A.V. Club - "Jake Scott’s perversely quiet melodrama traces a familiar arc from alienation to unlikely connection, yet the deeply internal Gandolfini and scowling Stewart remain trapped in their own hermetic universes. Their scenes together are less a passionate duet than the sad spectacle of two people humming softly, sadly, and tunelessly to themselves in unison."

P 82 - Neil Miller - Film School Rejects - "Kristen Stewart is at her bravest. When we first meet Mallory, she's surrounded by quick-cuts and music video sex appeal, but there's clearly something else going on. She's broken, tired and as we learn later, just a frightened little girl. Stewart plays through all of these layers incredibly well. She's sexy, tortured and frightened. At some point, all at once. This isn't her character from Twilight. It is a far more mature role, and one that is a polar opposite to Bella. Unless Bella starts showing her bare ass in the third movie..." ".... if there's one thing to be gleaned from Welcome to the Rileys, its that a movie can be plodding and uneven, but can still be saved by performance. In the end, Gandolfini, Leo and Stewart carry the film across the finish line and make it not just watchable."

P 83 - Nick Da Costa - Eye for Film - "...but the performances are so intricate and nuanced that you’re willing to let it slide." "A special mention has to go to Kristen Stewart who strips herself bare, both literally and figuratively. It's the details that matter here, not some petulant one-note image drummed up by the press. The rawness of the stripper’s uniform, profane, all panda eyes and duct-taped nipples contrasted with the timid girl scrubbed of make-up, pulling sweater cuffs over her hands and picking at her acne.
She builds such a strong rapport with Gandolfini, who evinces a surprising amount of vulnerability from that bear-like stature, that you almost forget she isn’t his daughter. And it reminds you that these seemingly harmless displays of concern between genuine family members can actually be threatening between strangers. A shot of Stewart shoulders hunched, arms crossed, head dropped to her chest in contrition as Gandolfini looms over her sums this up perfectly."

P 84 - Nikki Finke - Deadline - "Fine acting from James Gandolfini, Melissa Leo, and Kristen Stewart highlight this drama about the effect that a young runaway has on a married couple."

P 85 - Perri Nemiroff - CinemaBlend.com / shockya.com - "As for Stewart, she's okay. She does what's required of her, which isn't much of a strech from her typical moody characters,... Both she and Gandolfini put on above average performances,..."

P 86 - Peter Debruge - Variety (TOP CRITIC) - "With a cast like this, buyers are sure to be interested, although writer Ken Hixon's story is anything but an easy sell, especially given Scott's almost tediously self-serious treatment of the material." "Where the "Twilight" movies try to hide Stewart's pimples, here, those natural imperfections (plus a few bruises and suicide-attempt scars painted in for good measure) suit the character just fine. Hiding behind raccoon-eye mascara and electrical-tape pasties, Stewart is the perfect wretch, utterly convincing as a lost girl leveraging her sexuality to compensate for her complete powerlessness."

N 87 - Peter Keough - Boston Phoenix - "It seemed that Kristen Stewart might be expanding her range with her roles in The Runaways and Adventureland. But in Jake Scott's unwholesome melodrama, her performance suggests her Twilight character playing a 16-year-old runaway stripper/hooker in the high-school play. Call her Bella du Jour."

P/N 88 - Peter Rainer - Christian Science Monitor - "Stewart, at least, is playing someone with a real-world connection. She makes the mistake, as she often does in her films, of racing through her lines in a drony monotone while looking wantonly sulky. But she sparks many of her scenes with Gandolfini and Leo, both of whom are otherwise regularly reduced to insipidity."

P 89 - Peter Travers - Rolling Stone (TOP CRITIC) - "The actors and admirably sensitive director Jake Scott (son of Ridley) can't compensate for Ken Hixon's long slog of a script."

P 90 - Philip Martin - Arkansas Democrat Gazette - "If you know Kristen Stewart - who (do I really need to say it?) plays the stripper - only from those kiddie porn vampire flicks, well you don’t know Kristen Stewart. While The Runaways was a disappointing mild bio-pic, her Joan Jett was spot-on. Andif you saw her in The Cake Eaters at the 2009 Little Rock Film Festival (it’s unlikely you saw it anywhere else), you wouldn’t be surprised to learn she actually can act."

P 91 - Prairie Miller - NewsBlaze - "Stewart and her radical transition along with impressively expanding range from Twilight's moping teen to abrasive, profoundly damaged rude womanchild, effectively picks up the slack. As she settles into a sleazy routine that seems just as relaxed hanging around infatuated vampires, as glued to stripper poles and pasties."

P 92 - Ray Pride - New Film City/Chicago - "Both actors are painfully endearing, as is damaged, abandoned wife Lois (Melissa Leo). These actors are exquisite miniaturists. Gandolfini’s slow-burn miffs and tiffs are fine, and Stewart’s exquisite and vital facial features are in full play. ...Stewart is game to capture the straggly gamine, down to the third act’s riot of simulated pimples and cold sores that pock her face. (Barelegged for the most part, Stewart shows the makeup designer’s skill at skidded shins and wayward bruise.)"

P/N 93 - Rex Reed - New York Observer (TOP CRITIC) - "Great Acting Can’t Save the Leaden Welcome to the Rileys" (He didn't like the movie but aprecciated the acting, although he only talk about the old couple characters and the two old actors. He write Ms Stewart with respect but don't go deep. Seems to me, he thought her character as not so important in the drama. He gave more value to the couple drama. So... I will consider this as indiferent!)

P 94 - Richard Mowe - Boxoffice Magazine - "Stewart as the foul-mouthed Mallory takes the chance to expand her acting credentials." "The film has its moments, with much pleasure to be had from the pairing of Gandolfini and Stewart. As a showcase for their talents it works even if the overall impression is less than the sum of its parts."

P 95 - Robert Levin - amNewYork - "These are complex, believable characters, wholly deglamorized and bestowed with the layered complications that define real life. The actors bring great conviction to their parts, deftly conveying deep-seated emotions without veering toward easy, obvious choices."

P 96 - Robert W. Butler - Kansas City Star - "... the film works because its stars make up a trifecta of terrific performers who overcome the clichés inherent in their characters. ...Stewart confirms once again that away from the “Twilight” franchise she can be a daring and dangerous performer. Here she deftly contrasts Mallory’s childlike aspects against her jaded, crude side. Stewart isn’t afraid to be unpleasant and unattractive."

P 97 - Roger Ebert - Chicago Sun Times & rogerebert.com & blogs.suntimes.com/ebert (TOP CRITIC) - (at his blog at Sundance 2010) "The discovery once again is Kristen Stewart, who after this year's festival can be considered completely rehabilitated after the "Twilight" films." "Kristen Stewart here is tougher even than her punk rocker in "The Runaways." Who knew she had these notes? I'm discovering an important new actress." (at his review for The SunTimes) "...It's good, too, to see how director Jake Scott uses the physical presences of his well-cast actors. Stewart here is far from the porcelain perfection of the “Twilight” movies, and it's a relief to see that it is, after all, physically possible for a teenager to have complexion problems in a movie. Leo is worn out by loss and worry, but smart and kind."

P 98 - Roger Friedman - The Hollywood Report (TOP CRITIC) - "Kristen Stewart, she of “Twilight” fame, is also very good as a teen prostitute whom the couple befriends."

P 99 - Roger Moore - Orlando Sentinel (TOP CRITIC) - "“Welcome to the Rileys” is a movie about life after death. Not the supernatural sort, but the life that those left behind choose to live after a loved one dies. Well cast and nicely acted, it’s another piece of the puzzle of what Kristen Stewart’s career might look like after “Twilight” turns dark." "She’s a wreck, all dirt, bruises, sleepy eyes and chapped lips. Stewart and Gandolfini’s scenes have an edge, but her scenes with Leo have a moist-eyed warmth that give the film its heart."

P 100 - S. Jhoanna Robledo - Common Sense Media - "WELCOME TO THE RILEYS moves slowly, but it packs a mighty punch. It paints a picture of grief without sentimentality, an accomplishment that relies not on gimmicks but on strong performances from all three leads,..."

P 101 - Sandrine Sahakians - Daemons Movies - "As for Kristen Stewart, she proves without a doubt that she can hold her own in any movie, and is not tied in any way to her character of Bella in the Twilight Saga, which not every actor would be able to do with such a franchise. If you’re a fan of hers, you’ll find her pretty unrecognizable in Welcome to the Rileys. Mallory is also a very interesting character because of not only the relationship she has with Doug, but also the journey she goes on after she meets him."

N 102 - Shirley Sealy - Film Journal International - "Sensitive performances by James Gandolfini and Melissa Leo—and a sensationally sleazy one by Kristen Stewart—are simply not enough to enliven this downer of a movie about profound grief and how it makes people behave in strange ways—very strange ways. ...Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Kristen Stewart, the young actress who has attracted accolades playing Bella in the Twilight series. In Welcome to the Rileys, she does her best to look the part of a battered prostitute and drug addict who, in the end, is smart enough to see she has to figure out her own fate. But until that revealing moment, Stewart gives no hint she understands a complex character like Mallory."

P 103 - Scott - We Are Movie Geeks - "I will tell you that the three main actors in the film, James Gandolfini, Melissa Leo and Kristen Stewart all turn in amazing performances. It would have been very easy for things to go south in each of the roles but Jake Scott pulled out what could be one of the best performances of Stewart’s career and definitely my favorite of Gandolfini and Leo."

P 104 - Scott Mantz - MovieMantz Review / Access Hollywood (TOP CRITIC) -

Starts at 0:30
MovieMantz - Access Hollywood - October30, 2010

P 105 - Scott Menzel - MovieManMenzel.Com - "Stewart and Gandolfini step outside their norm to deliver powerful performances in "Welcome to the Rileys""
"The best part of “Welcome to the Rileys” hands down are the performances. I have been following Kristen Stewart as an actress for several years now ever since I first saw her in “Panic Room.” Many people seem to have a love/hate relationship with her thanks to her unemotional and stiff role as Bella in the “Twilight” franchise. I would love to convince people to give her a shot as an actress but people seem to be rather set in their ways on her. For Stewart, it's hard not being the typical hot young actress. She's a rather unique actress with a non-typical Hollywood look and that's what I like about her. As for her performance in “Welcome to the Rileys,” she is both raw and risque. The amount of bad language and how dirty Stewart looks in the film would make a sailor look clean. Stewart's performance is by far the best one in the film. She is a lost soul with very little self respect in the film. She plays a stripper, which is a role I never thought I would ever see her play but just plays it perfectly. This is without a doubt Stewart's best role to date and even tops her performance as Joan Jett in “The Runaways.” I would even argue that Stewart deserves an Oscar for her performance here, that's how good I felt she was in the film."

P 106 - Stephanie Zacharek - Movieline (TOP CRITIC) - "Mallory isn’t letting go of her crap so easily, and the movie, thankfully, doesn’t offer any immediate, facile solutions to her multiple problems. What it does do is offer Stewart plenty of chances to frown and scowl unpleasantly; maybe she avails herself of too many of them. But she can’t be that sullen for long with Gandolfini’s Doug around, and the two of them end up making quite a pair. And when Lois shows up on the scene, Mallory doesn’t immediately accept her as the proverbial mother she never had. There’s conflict ahead, but then, conflict is sometimes the only way to move forward. Stewart appears to have been constricted by the rigid parameters of the Twilight movies. Her character here is wary, not trusting (s Bella is), and maybe for that reason, she seems to take pleasure in a role that requires one long, kicking-and-screaming “No!” But two-thirds of the way through the movie, she hints with her eyes that she’s possibly considering a “maybe.” Welcome to the Rileys is a gentle, well-acted picture..."

P 107 - Stephen Saito - The Independent Eye/IFC.COM - "LAFF director Rebecca Yeldham came out to introduce the film and moderate the post-screening Q & A (a job usually handled by programmers or volunteers), and before the film started, Melissa Leo spoke on behalf of herself and co-stars Stewart and James Gandolfini, who stood off to the side, a reminder that "Welcome to the Rileys" not only boasts a talented ensemble, but one of the most spotlight-weary as well."

P/N 108 - Stephen Whitty - Newark Star-Ledger (TOP CRITIC) - "And Kristen Stewart — well, yes, once again she’s got a bad case of the mopes. But the flashes of rage convince. And physically — bruised, broken-out, filthy — she does everything she can to avoid any Hollywood touches." (The "bad case of mopes" that he refers is a expression he used in his review of Twilight - New Moon, where he wrote ""...Still, the three leads approach their parts with conviction. Kristen Stewart is a little twitchy ("Can’t she get through one scene without playing with her hair?" a friend of mine sniped afterward) but her antics and moody moping are perfectly appropriate to the troubled-teen character."" So... I understand that he is stating that she chose again a "mope" character. This way I will consider this as mixed)

P/N 109 - Steven Rea - Philadelphia Inquirer (TOP CRITIC) - "When actors are so thoroughly linked to a specific role - Kristen Stewart's Bella Swan, say, or James Gandolfini's Tony Soprano - any project that offers the chance to try something different had better be good, or else. Welcome to the Rileys is the or else. Flat and predictable, with a script (by Ken Hixon) full of cheap redemption and gloomy earnestness..." (He don't talk about the acting because he just didn't like the movie, period!)

P 110 - The Playlist - indieWire (TOP CRITIC) - " It’s not exactly the shock of the year to imagine Kristen Stewart in this role, though she manages to capture something uniquely upsetting about how innocence can be corrupted before youth has set in." "...The pacing is glacial at times, but with excellent performances from Leo, Stewart, and Gandolfini (the former Tony Soprano, now wearing Red State simplicity over a powerfully fractured heart) allow each moment to feel real, lived-in, understandable." "Tougher, more sympathetic performances haven’t been seen yet from these three: Stewart in particular defies expectations in an uneasy role. Her performance suggests a spirit in transit that the film wants to pigeonhole into little-girl-lost clichés, and Stewart gamely follows suit in an arc that never seems believable."

P 111 - Thelma Adams - Us Weekly - "Kristen Stewart sheds her Twilight image in this gritty drama, playing a New Orleans stripper and prostitute in a performance that screams "take me seriously." While she achieves her goal -- perfecting every tic and hair fling of this bruised 16-year-old runaway -- the rest of the movie falls short."

P 112 - Thomas Cadwell - Cinema Autopsy - "Kristen Stewart, in a role even grittier than the one she played in The Runaways."

P 113 - Timothy Werth - Movie Fill - "Gandolfini, Leo and Stewart have a seamless chemistry that keeps the film on the rails. For her part, Stewart portrays on-the-edge without overacting or appealing for pity. She plays this wayward soul with heart and finesse, though its often hard to tell because she's spends most of her screen time cursing and taking off her clothes. Despite the grim subject matter, the movie also has an easy humor, built on little moments between the characters (Allison: "I have my dad's tits.").... Kristen Stewart proves that she does have a future outside of Twilight, and as for Gandolfini and Leo, I expect nothing less than amazing. They deliver, even when the movie can't."

P 114 - Tricia Olszewski - Washington City Paper - "To be fair, regardless of Stewart’s actorly tics, she’s terrific as the raw, damaged Mallory, never once calling to mind her superficially angsty Bella."

P 115 - Ty Burr - Boston Globe (TOP CRITIC) - "I want to say that Welcome to the Rileys stars two good actors and Kristen Stewart, but that’s not only mean, it misrepresents the case." "Stewart? As usual, she’s just there, but I can’t think of another young actress who makes her there-ness work so well. All three actors come at this gloomy, borderline-preposterous tale from different directions; that they meet up at all — and they do — is a tribute to sincerity and craft." "Stewart somehow builds a character out of her patented mix of shrugs and sullenness. The movie deglamorizes both Mallory and the actress playing her; by the final scenes, the character’s very much the raw adolescent the other two mistakenly see as a replacement daughter."

Some new film critics Podcast

P 116 - Spills - spill.com -

From Deauville Film Festival (France)

P 117 - Elodie Leroy - Jeuxactu.com - "Kristen Stewart creates surprise with a composition very touching, delivering her best performance to date as an actress."

P 118 - Metro France - "‘The Twilight Saga’s heroine embodies deeper characters in ‘The
Runaways’ and ‘Welcome to the Rileys’. Before playing Twilight’s Bella, Kristen Stewart was seen in Sean Penn’s ‘Into the Wild’. Since then, vampires came along. Even if Stewart didn’t make the trip to Deauville, two of her films are there to testify that she has found the “wild”! First, by embodying Joan Jett in ‘The Runaways’, Floria Sigismondi’s first movie.
Guitar in hand and with black eyes, she formed a fierce and ultrasexy duo Dakota Fanning, contributing greatly to the joyful energy of this really rock’n'roll movie that has an explosive soundtrack. Radical change with ‘Welcome to the Rileys’, film of redemption signed Jake Scott. Kristen plays Mallory, a stripper-prostitute-runaway 17 years old girl.
As convincing as ever, Kristen swears and smokes like a sailor; with her messed up mascara and torn fishnet stockings, we wouldn’t expect that she would still look good in old jeans and t-shirt. Not only is there a life after Twilight for her, but best is yet to come for the 20 years old actress.’"

P 119 - Mulder - Mulderville.com - "Deauville festival allowed us to rediscover Kristen Stewart through independent movies. After The Runaways, inspired by a short period of rocker Joan Jett’s life, she’s again the center of a drama, Welcome to the Rileys.

P 120 - Nicolas Gilli - filmosphere.com - "...we did not expect much of Kristen Stewart, excellent in Into The Wild or The Runaways, but too dull in the Twilight saga. And she proves here with a certain talent - even if she has a hard time to let go of her angry teenager look - that she'll easily negotiate the rest of her career once the crappy vampiric saga is over and forgotten. ... And the real surprise is Kristen Stewart, as a young prostitute, who finally breaks her gullible romantic image. Good choice! ... In the lead a Kristen Stewart who's not afraid to shatter her image so Twilight doesn't stick to her, good for her,..."

P 121 - Tootpadu - Mulderville.com - "Kristen Stewart never ceases to amaze us during Deauville American Films Festival. Through her second role in as many days, she gets rid of her annoying reputation of innocent girl in the Twilight saga, to surprise us with her acting even more compelling here than in The Runaways.

Swiss Newspaper Review

P 122 - Cineman - "Although saddled with a predictable plot, the second film by Jake Scott, son of Ridley Scott, is nevertheless sensitive and moving, with some fine acting by stars James Gandolfini, Kirsten Stewart and Melissa Leo."
Source : Robsteners

N 123 - Pascal Blum - ZÜRITIPP - "You accept every distress from James Gandolfini, but you prefer watching Melissa Leo. On the other hand Kristen Stewart looks as sexy as a crack whore, furthermore she lacks in her acting quality: When she breaks out into tears, you'd wish a vampire would come running to comfort her."
Source : Robsteners

Brazilian Review

P 124 - Douglas Elias - Plantão PoP - "Kristen Stewart persuaded to do a fine young man lost, and with no prospect that life willdeliver the drugs and the world of prostitution, very different from adolescent "fool" thevampire saga, but a proof that this new generation, it is by far one of the most talented."

Haters to the left!

So cute!

Well done Kristen! You did justice to the part!

Make sure to return for "The Runaways" compilation reviews

KRISTEN STEWART'S PERFORMANCES

2011-01-30T18:32:00.010-02:00

I'm so tired of heard people saying that for each good review of Kristen Stewart's acting skills, she get tons of negative reviews!

So I decided to make a statistic based in the reviews of her performances in sites as Rotten Tomatoes (RT), Meta Critics (MC), Movie Review Intelligence (MRI), Movie Review Query Engine (MRQE) and also some others that are not included in these listings.

First, all you get to understand is that the reviews are of the movies! Independently if the movie get a good or bad review, the performances are always noted as a independent thing, because film critics given rates based in several factors. The performances can be analyzed or not, in these reviews, depend on what the film critic think that is relevant in their reviews.

This analyse and compilation will demand a lot of research and a lot of time, so... It will be a slowwwww process. Be sure to return once in while to see what are the numbers for her other performances.

Lets stop the haters and all this BS about her, that she has to prove again that she is a serious actress, a good actress, because these are the people who "supposedly" are the experts in the business!

I will start with "Welcome to the Rileys", after I will do "The Runaways", "Adventureland", "The Cake Eaters" and "Yellow Handherchief" because these are the ones with more data at disposal in the Internet. The other movies, I will do together, because there are not much data from each one of them in the Internet, but mostly, because these are movies that she did from the age of 10 to 15. There is a consensus that she was a talented child actor but most of these 5 films were reviewed after her "over exposure" in consequence of the "Twilight Tsunami". So, what is on the table, right now, is to stop these BS talkings about her acting in her more adult parts.

Before we start, a curiosity:

The movie "Welcome to the Rileys" has Rotten Tomatoes had 60 reviews, MetaCritic had 29 reviews and Movie Review Intelligence had 29 reviews but some reviews are represented in the two or tBefore starthree of them, so in the end, we have less than 118 reviews.
Some are so absurd that become funny, like Roger Ebert is not on the Rotten Tomatoes and MetaCritic listings and neither is Mick La Salle. How can any serious statistics be made without them in the list?
Another funny thing is the different interpretation of the reviews that these sites do, because my friends, sites like Metacritic and MRI don't ask the film critics their score, they guess based in their interpretation of the review, if the film critics were not clear, giving the score along with their reviews. Per example: Manohla Dargis gave 3 out 5 in Rotten Tomatoes, so her review became fresh, but MetaCritic gave 50 and MRI said it was moderated. The same happened with KIRK HONEYCUTT. He put a fresh tomatoes in his review but Metacritic and MRI scored it as 50 or moderate. Also happened the same thing with BETSY SHARKEY, she gave 3 out 5, fresh, in Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic and MRI gave 50 or moderate to her review.

The thing is... in Rotten Tomatoes the film critics do the work themselves but it is not the case in Metacritic and MRI. Big distortions, don't you think? In one side, there is Rotten Tomatoes that not consider important reviews, because the person, don't go there to put his or her review for general analyses but in other side, Metacritic and MRI don't consider a lot of reviews because they are not from important newspapers and magazines and also they do some of the scores based on their interpretation of the reviews, not in actually opinion of the film critics because they don't ask them....

If the positive reviews from Roger Ebert and Mick LaSalle were considerated in Rotten Tomatoes and MetaCritic, as well, if MetaCritic and MRI would have asked and not interpreted the reviews from Manohla Dargis, Betsy Sharkey and Kirk Honeycutt, the final number and the final analyses referent to this movie would probably be other than the actual one and would be a more positive one, for sure.
Things like that make you think if these statistics are a good parameter for anyone to base their choices of movies to go and see.

Just saying...

Anyway... We are not here for analyse these numbers. We just used these listings as a base to do a statistic of the reviews of Kristen Stewart's performance in this particular movie.

The compilation starts in the next post.