The Baader Meinhof Complex

With Carlos fresh in mind, I watched this true story of the RAF, or Red Army Faction to you acronym averse. Formed in Germany in 1970 by Andreas Baader, his girlfriend Gudrun Ensslin, and journalist Ulrike Meinhof, the RAF was a violent left wing terror group, self-proclaimed "urban guerrillas" at war with world fascism. They were contemporaries of The Jackel, though much more active and bloody. The film covers their rise and the founders' eventual prison terms. It's an excellent companion piece with Carlos, if I do say so myself. (I did, just then.)

What an incredibly dynamic time the late 60s and 70s were and not for the usual reasons we associate with that era in this country. Europe was a hotbed of this kind of revolutionary spirit, the likes of which we have never experienced in America. That's not a bad thing because even at our worst we've managed to remain stable enough to counterbalance that kind of sentiment (ok, the Civil War, but I'm talking about once we got indoor plumbing). I'm certainly not romanticizing the misguided violence of these terror groups, but from a historical perspective, it makes for some exciting reading and viewing. PLUS

Carlos

This was at the top of many critics' 2010 lists, but I can't really consider it a "film" in the usual sense of the word. It was originally produced as a mini-series for French TV and I watched all 330 minutes of it as such. In installments, not in France. (The theatrical release was about 200 minutes shorter and, all circulatory and renal benefits aside, must have been a completely different experience.)

I was reminded of the early 80s when American TV actually aired quality movies and mini-series. That feeling was no doubt helped by the subject matter as that time period was rife with tales of hijacked planes and terrorism. While my tastes at the time tended toward the Chuck Norris worldview on homeland security, I remember being fascinated/frightened by the more realistic takes on people like Carlos, or as you may know him, Carlos the Jackel.

If ever there was a celebrity terrorist, this was your guy. Granted, he considered himself a revolutionary in the Che Guevara mold, though minus the lucrative t-shirt side business. He did build himself up into the world's most wanted criminal and Olivier Assayas's biopic covers that rise to infamy. The filmmaking is excellent and Assayas seamlessly weaves together action, politics and historic footage in eight different languages over nine different international locations. Holding it all together is a magnetic, versatile, and brave star turn by Edgar Ramirez. (By brave I mean he shows his dong a lot.) It's one of the best performances in years.

As for Carlos, he never got to be the martyr he seemed destined to be and rots away in prison today as the delusional thug he proved to be. PLUS

Playlist: The Runaways

For some reason I feel guilty liking Kristen Stewart. Okay, not some reason, but because people keep making me feel that way. My problem is that I can't explain why I feel the way I do. I don't necessarily think she's a great actress (though she's far better than she's given credit for being). And I don't even necessarily find her that attractive. Only I do. Only I don't know why other than to that she simply has a screen presence. And I can't be alone in this since millionaires with countless options keep signing her for their movies.

The biggest criticism I hear about Stewart is that she basically plays herself playing with her hair and whining in all her films. Accurate or not, it doesn't really register with me and I wonder if maybe some of these critics are confusing her with Hayden Christensen. Either way, her performance as Joan Jett may not change anyone's overall opinion of her, but it can't not earn her a little respect. There was a lot of talk about how she threw herself completely into this role (probably with something to prove) and her work shows as she nails Jett down to the guitar playing and singing. Jett was even quoted as saying she wasn't sure who was singing when she heard a recording.

The thing is, though, that The Runaways isn't even Jett's film. It's taken from the memoir of lead singer Cherie Currie, who was only 15 when she was picked to join the group. Dakota Fanning, an actress doing her own dance on that borderline of adulthood, was an inspired choice and she definitely holds her own in the sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll department. She did her own singing as well, but while it's obvious she studied Currie's movements I got the feeling she was trying too hard at times. (Also need to note Michael Shannon's fun turn as their eccentric manager, Kim Fowley.)

Ultimately, music video director Floria Sigismond's film is a by-the-numbers biopic. But I admit, I get caught up in these movies if the music is good and The Runaways were a good group.

The clip below is the real Japanese TV performance recreated in the film. And, yeah, Dakota is dressed like that.