Jersey Boys Review

Rated R (Language Throughout)

Running Time: 2 Hours & 14 Minutes

Cast-

John Lloyd Young-Francesco Castelluccio/Frankie Valli

Vincent Piazza-Tommy DeVito

Michael Lomenda-Nick Massi

Erich Bergen-Bob Gaudio

Christopher Walken-Angelo 'Gyp' DeCarlo

Renée Marino-Mary Delgado

Mike Doyle-Bob Crewe

Joseph Russo-Joe Pesci

Erica Piccininni-Lorraine

Donnie Kehr-Norm Waxman

Freya Tingley-Francine Valli

Kathrine Narducci-Frankie's Mother/Mary Rinaldi

Lou Volpe-Frankie's Father/Anthony Castelluccio

Johnny Cannizzaro-Nick DeVito

Troy Grant-Ed Sullivan

Directed by Clint Eastwood

Director Clint Eastwood brings the long-running, Tony Award-winning musical "Jersey Boys" to the big screen.

Note: Screened on Wednesday, June 18, 2014 at AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13.

What comes to mind when you think of a musical film? If your answer is lively, energetic song-and-dance numbers that burst with toe-tapping exuberance, lavish background scenery, and show-stopping choreography, then you would be correct. Unfortunately, you won't find much of that in Clint Eastwood's latest film "Jersey Boys," despite it being based on the long-running, Tony Award-winning Broadway musical of the same name. While a big production number does exist in the film, you'll have to wait until the start of the end credits to even see it. Enthusiastic and buoyant, the closing song-and-dance number—set to 1975's December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night) and involving the entire cast—isn't exactly a show-stopper but it's by far the film's most joyful moment, one that'll actually make you stand up and cheer. If only the rest of "Jersey Boys" were as good as its end credits. With his staid directorial style, Eastwood is a puzzling choice to helm a feature based on a Broadway musical. He's certainly musically inclined, having composed the scores for most of the films he's directed since 2003 and even lent his voice for a song or two (notably in 2008's "Gran Torino") yet Eastwood never appears to be particularly interested in the film's subject matter. Whatever passion he had as a director seems to have left him and now he's just taking on random projects to past the time. That being said, "Jersey Boys" is not a bad film. However, it needed someone with a little more flair at the helm, like Rob Marshall or Adam Shankman. The attention to period detail is impeccable and the film does come alive in its few musical moments but "Jersey Boys" ends up being a long, joyless slog. You're better off watching the musical on Broadway or buying the film's soundtrack.

The army, the mob, or fame: if you grew up on the mean streets of Belleville, New Jersey in 1951, these were the only ways out of the neighborhood. Despite possessing a golden throat with his unusually powerful falsetto voice, fame was out of reach for sixteen-year-old Francesco 'Frankie' Castelluccio (John Lloyd Young), who tries to make an honest living as a practicing hairdresser while also moonlighting as a lookout during small-time burglaries for his rabble-rousing friend Tommy DeVito (Vincent Piazza). With his brother Nicky (Johnny Cannizzaro) and bassist Nick Massi (Michael Lomenda), Tommy often performs at a local club as the 'Variety Trio.' He invites Frankie onto the stage to sing one night and his performance leaves the crowd stunned. With Frankie, now going by the name 'Frankie Valli,' officially part of the band, the quartet begins calling themselves the 'Variatones' but when his brother abruptly leaves, Tommy scrambles to find a replacement. He learns from talent scout Joe Pesci (Joseph Russo)—yes, the same Joe Pesci that would go on to win an Academy Award for 1990's "Goodfellas"—that singer-songwriter Bob Gaudio (Erich Bergen) might just be the guy the band is looking for as he already has a hit song under his name. After being impressed by Frankie's falsetto voice, Gaudio agrees to join the band, now known as the 'Four Lovers.' In spite of their obvious talent, the Four Lovers fail to catch the attention of record producers, until Frankie runs into an old friend named Bob Crewe (Mike Doyle). With Crewe's help, the Four Lovers reinvent themselves as the 'Four Seasons' and quickly skyrocket to fame during the 1960s thanks to hit songs like Sherry, Big Girls Don't Cry, and Walk Like a Man. Unfortunately, the Four Seasons soon threaten to break apart due to clashing egos and Tommy's growing debt problems.

The music of the Four Seasons may be classics but Eastwood fails to do justice to them with his lethargic direction.

Although the band's peak years are long behind them, the Four Seasons continue to remain in the public eye thanks to the massive success of the critically-acclaimed jukebox musical Jersey Boys, which premiered at San Diego, California's La Jolla Playhouse in 2004 and has been running on Broadway for close to nine years now, having recently passed 3560 performances at the August Wilson Theater in New York City. With its lively energy and toe-tapping hit songs, Jersey Boys is one of the few shows on Broadway that can call itself a billion-dollar business. Given its huge popularity, a big screen adaptation was pretty much a no-brainer but Clint Eastwood has sadly sucked out much of the joy from the musical with his lethargic direction, resulting in a film that's nothing more than a clichéd, surface-level, "Behind the Music" biopic of one the best-selling pop-and-rock groups in America. Having Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice adapt their own musical was a smart move on paper but there's barely any nuance to be found in their script, with events happening without any points of reference at all. Viewers are simply plopped into various eras of the guys' lives, leaving them to wonder what year it is or how much time has even passed. One minute, Frankie is being introduced to Mary Delgado (Renée Marino) and the next, they're already married! For much of the film, I thought they had only one daughter but it turns out they have three, and one of them—Francine (Freya Tingley)—apparently has a beautiful voice. However, we don't hear nary a note from her and then she just unceremoniously dies from a drug overdose. It's hard to emotionally invest in any of the characters with this kind of sloppy storytelling.

It doesn't help that Brickman and Elice's script is just one big pile of clichés. Like many music biopics before it, we have the team-ups, the arguments, the hits, the excess, the 'fatal flaw' (it's usually drugs, money, womanizing, or a combination of the three; this time, it's money), the downfall, the redemption, and of course, the final reunion. This strict adherence to genre conventions turns "Jersey Boys" into a very bland, generic experience. However, that's not the main problem. What really sinks the film is that Eastwood has adapted a musical for the big screen…but has taken out most of the music! Honestly, I'm puzzled as to why he even chose to direct this in the first place because he's clearly not interested in the material. If you're looking to experience the musical's show-stopping song-and-dance numbers in the movie theater, you're going to be in for a long wait. In fact, you'll have to wait until the end credits. Sure, we do see the band recording in the studio and performing live on-stage but outside of two or three instances, none of the songs are ever sung in their entirety. Even when the guys' are performing, the film fails to come alive because of the stiff, boring camera angles Eastwood repeatedly uses. "Jersey Boys" only comes to life toward the end, when John Lloyd Young performs a spirited rendition of 1967's Can't Take My Eyes Off You. Of course, the best part arrives at the start of the end credits, when Eastwood finally gives viewers a musical number set to December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night) with the entire cast involved. Why wasn't the rest of the film like this? I have no idea. The only aspect that I can praise without any reservations is the period detail. It's as if the cast and crew went back in time to shoot the movie.

The cast, which is largely composed of stage veterans, do what they can with the sub-par material.

The main cast, three-fourths of which is made up of stage veterans that performed on the musical, try their best with what they're given but the script fails to develop their characters beyond a few basic personality traits. Tony Award-winner John Lloyd Young gives by far the most nuanced performance as Frankie Valli, whose loyalties are torn between his music career, his friends, and his family. Given that he also played Valli on the Broadway musical back in 2006, Young unsurprisingly nails the singer's distinctive falsetto. As Tommy DeVito, Vincent Piazza (Charles 'Lucky' Luciano from HBO's "Boardwalk Empire") lends the character a roguish charm while admirably acquitting himself during the singing scenes. Unfortunately, Michael Lomenda and Erich Bergen fail to make much of an impression. Lomenda, who reprises his role as Nick Massi from the national tour, spends most of the film threatening to leave the band and forming his own group. His only memorable scene is when his character explodes in front of everyone about DeVito's terrible hygienic habits. Bergen, reprising his role as Bob Gaudio from the Los Angeles and Las Vegas productions, doesn't grow beyond being Valli's loyal friend. The rest of the cast is a mixed bag. Renée Marino goes way too over-the-top as Valli's neglected wife Mary while Mike Doyle's Bob Crewe is nothing more than a gay stereotype, although he does offer a few chuckles with his flamboyant behavior. Lending some star power is Christopher Walken as Angelo 'Gyp' DeCarlo, by far the nicest Mafia boss to ever grace the silver screen.

Released on June 20, 2014, "Jersey Boys" has received mixed reviews with 55% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics noted that Eastwood's latest was 'neither as inventive nor as energetic as it could be, but there's no denying the powerful pleasures of its musical moments. Box office-wise, the film got off to a quiet start with a weekend debut of $13.5 million. The older audience that the film appeals to doesn't tend to rush out to theaters on opening weekend, which means that "Jersey Boys" could be in for a solid run, especially with its 'A-' CinemaScore. However, these people would be better served by going to the Broadway musical or buying the film's soundtrack. The music of the Four Seasons will continue to be classics but Eastwood's "Jersey Boys" fails to do any justice to it.

Final Rating: 2.5 out of 5

"Four guys under a street lamp, when it was all still ahead of us, the first time we made that sound—our sound. That was the best."