Jersey Boys (2014) review - Movie Thoughts (Chapter 16) 🎤

 Hello everyone,

Today's review is about one of my favourite musicals of all time and its film treatment at the hands of the great Clint Eastwood. I have plenty of issues with the details, but overall this film is a good time that made me smile and the music is incredible....

(**disclaimer: the following thoughts are 100% my opinion, you do not have to agree with them - film is inherently subjective and everyone's perspective is valid! Also, there are probably spoilers in the following, read at your own risk. Now onto some thoughts....**)

Source: IMDB

A classic jukebox musical given a sleek Hollywood makeover by the great Clint Eastwood, this upbeat and funky take on the rise and fall of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons had great potential but ultimately veered away from focusing on the iconic music. The journey of four normal guys from the mean streets of New Jersey whose time as The Four Seasons defined a new era of pop music in the 1960's is not a fairytale, and Eastwood doesn’t pull his punches when dissecting the ingredients of their success, and the fractures that contributed to their collapse.

A typical rags to riches story is distinctive, genuine and human. The charm of this particular narrative comes from the intertwining of narration from each band member’s earnest fourth wall breaking perspective. Akin to old friends recounting an old tale, using conflicting accounts instantly communicated that this chain of events probably isn’t 100% true, but it still had that unique style of letting the audience behind the curtain to experience this rollercoaster through the band’s eyes. Although the final scene included compelling introspective thoughts, much of that exposition felt rushed and had gone missing through the second and third acts.

The first half felt like an ode to mobster cinema, with shadowy jobs, old rich men taking care of business and a revolving door prison. Leaning heavily on the backdrop of explaining how different the rules are in Jersey was distracting and too context heavy. With a time jump to the 20 year reunion providing an awkward reunion in gray hair, it’s clear that much of this film suffered under fundamental pacing issues.

However, the four band members were excellently cast; each capturing the individual and necessary charisma that also defines the enduring charms of this story. Both the dialogue and music sequences were strong with personality and chemistry. Frankie Valli (John Lloyd Young) had the necessary insane range, Bob Gaudio (Erich Bergen) had the talent and tenacity, Nick Massi (Michael Lomenda) had the easygoing sensibility and sweet bassnotes, and Tommy DeVito (Vincent Piazza) had the wise-cracking, trouble-making charms.

Eastwood fully embraced the turbulent rollercoaster of the Four Seasons’ journey; almost glossing over the highs to lean on the breakdown and the human cost of their success. A somewhat heavier tone with a soundtrack that is still totally iconic, there was still that spark of lightning in a bottle brilliance shown in their humble beginnings that made the rest of their story all the more heartbreaking. Eastwood and writers Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice expertly dropped the vital tidbits of conflict from the minute Bob Gaudio first appeared on screen, thus building the fragmentation in a slow yet foreboding way.

Eastwood conceptually made sense as a director who could comfortably tackle the mean streets of New Jersey in the 60's. His dramatic and sophisticated eye added a much needed polish to the general mood of the film, and there are moments like the negotiation scene in Gyp DeCarlo (Christopher Walken)’s mansion which oozed captivating tension and energy. But his biggest mistake lied in his treatment of this film less like a musical and more like dramatic beats with musical sequences scattered over the top. Most of the song scenes lacked any spark of dynamite energy, and the complete erasure of certain performances made the music feel not important, which is precisely the wrong tonal balance to achieve in a jukebox musical adaptation. It was disappointing to see an experienced director miss the mark on such a fundamental pillar of a well-known story. However, the Ed Sullivan performance, ‘Sherry’ and Valli’s iconic ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You’ were particularly memorable in their construction because it was clear in expositional significance, iconic nostalgia and musical spectacle respectively why they needed to be included. The music simply wasn’t prominent enough, drowned out by loose and meandering plot development that lost the heart of the story just when it should have been increasing in appeal.

The odd pacing of the back half was perhaps the biggest problem, with Brickman and Elice’s screenplay possessing little of the finesse that their stage book conveyed in Act 2. The climax felt weirdly early with Valli’s amazing solo performance and the horns section he’d always dreamed about, and the material that covered Valli’s solo touring and family tragedy was all slow and clumsy; ultimately lacking a lot of the heartwrenching payoff the writers were hoping for. The final two musical numbers ‘Who Loves You’ and ‘Oh What A Night’ are made to feel more like shiny shoe-horned in extras, instead of constructively building them into the complex narrative.

Jersey Boys had the sleek retro look that defines this iconic tale. But without unique choices from Eastwood, this musical adaptation ultimately felt more pedestrian than powerful.

7.5/10, 3.5 STARS

Thanks for reading.

Love and red tuxedos, Emily🎤