dinner and a movie: The Runaways

Welcome to my Monday morning recap of my fabulous Friday night date with myself. This week I'm back to my usual location: the Spectrum 8 Theatres and New World Bistro Bar.

The back story: As someone who grew up on the c'singles (cassette singles) of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, I was immediately interested in learning about her early years in rock and roll with the all-girl rock band, The Runaways. Feminism and music? Yes, please. Also, after being pleasantly surprised with how good Kristen Stewart was in Twilight (my review), playing a character I disliked in the novel, I was eager to see her act again.

The basics: Although it was billed largely as a Joan Jett biopic, it's more of a Cherie Curry biopic. Cherie was the lead singer of The Runaways, and the script was based on her memoir Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway. The film focuses on Jett and Curry, and the band's other three members are barely included. 

The verdict: Floria Sigismondi managed to make a film about Joan Jett, feminism and rock history boring. The film had no flow. It begins in 1975, but there's no indication of how fast time lapses or when other events happen until the last scene, which is eight months later. Later than what is unclear. How could a film with so much intended shock value be dull? I'm still not sure, but the entire film felt incredibly forced. Dakota Fanning was good, but no characters really showed much depth. Her chemistry with Kristen Stewart, who was completely unbelievable as bad-ass Joan Jett, was lacking. Everything was out of balance. It felt contrived or intentionally salacious, which made it seem sad and awkward rather than its intention.Overall: I wouldn't recommend it. 

Rating: 2 stars (out of 5)

Length: 106 minutes that felt like more

Release date: it's in theaters now

Source: I paid to see it at the Spectrum 8 Theatres

Dinner: After a frustratingly bad movie, I was eager for a tasty meal and a glass of wine. As usual, New World Bistro Bar did not disappoint. Also per usual, at 8:45 on a Friday night, there was hardly anyplace to stand near the bar. Thanks to attentive and wonderful bartenders, I didn't wait long for a glass of wine and found good light to stand under while I sipped wine and read on my Kindle. After about twenty minutes, I was able to get a seat at the bar. I started with a bowl of the Chipotle black bean soup, which was topped with avocado creme. It was spicier than I expected, but it was delicious. The French rose was a perfect wine accompaniment to the spice. For my meal, I had my favorite arugula salad with salmon on top. The salad contains arugula, drunken goat cheese, sunflower seed, roasted beets and a truffle balsamic vinaigrette. I opted for grilled salmon rather than blackened, and the chimichurri on top was delicious. The salmon was absolutely perfectly cooked, and I devoured every bite.  After a disappointing start to the evening, it still had a lovely finish.

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