(warning: liberal movie review. In no way does this review attempt to be professional or otherwise conform to proper review criteria. Read at your own risk.)
Before watching the movie, I didn’t realize the brain-dead child of an orangutan (formerly known as the chick in the shitty Twilight movies) was in it. After the movie, I still didn’t know. Then I realized why I knew who she was and I came to the realization that her name is Kristen Stewart, she is not the offspring of primates, and she can actually get into a role and do some acting. I thought her performance was great and she stole the show from Dakota Fanning.
As a movie, it was subpar as a whole and totally brought down by the story/plot/script, whatever you want to call all the events that were just thrown into a huge pile and shot. I’ve always heard, “something being a true story is not an excuse for it being bad,” and that certainly applies here. I know it really happened, I know it was huge, but could you spare my boredom to actually construct a story that doesn’t resemble another “VH1: behind the music” with better resolution and higher paid actors.
That said, I enjoyed the visuals in the movie and was especially impressed with Floria Sigismondi’s directing abilities, (hint: try skipping the writing part next time and just direct.) There were some amazing scenes with unique angles and brilliant symbolism that attempted to pry every ounce of substance out of her flailing script, and as a visual piece, this movie is great.
So, some jailbait hippy chicks get together to make a band. They do some drugs, have some sex, make a few good songs, fight like bitches, and then break up. That’s the movie. Left the theater wishing I didn’t watch a bunch of cardboard cut outs walk around on the big screen. Dry characters and "Blahhhh" story. Less girls getting periods on camera and more girls jumping around in corsets and lingerie and you’ve already got a better movie.
