Based on the successful Broadway musical, Jersey Boys, Clint Eastwood directs a screen adaptation focused on the rise to fame of a quartet of Italian-Americans who became pop sensations as The Four Seasons. Anyone who has ever listened to the radio will be familiar with their hits such as ‘Walk Like A Man’ and ‘Sherry’.
Jersey Boys has built-in audience expectation because of the popular stage show and because it’s directed by Clint Eastwood. Though inundated with musical numbers, the film does do a good job at removing itself from the stage-bound setting and opening up the narrative and drama.
The film opens in 1951 with sixteen-year-old Frankie Valli (John Lloyd Young), a local singing prodigy, being nurtured by local Mafia boss, Gyp DeCarlo (Christopher Walken). His henchman Tommy (Vincent Piazza), also a guitarist, teaches young Frankie both the ropes on the mean streets and also what it’s like being in a band. Bass player Nick (Michael Lomenda) makes up a gigging trio until the group meets Bob Gaudio (Erich Bergen) and they ultimately take off on their stellar career trajectory. However, all was not well with the Four Seasons as Tommy’s small-time hoodlum ways that proved destructive to the band and tensions flared repeatedly. All this goes on between copious musical numbers and narration by the characters, which is delivered direct to camera.
At two hours and fourteen minutes, the film decidedly drags. Plot points are made overly complicated and sometimes they’re just plain old dull. The same arguments are repeated over and over again, with not enough punchy or humorous moments to carry them through. The entire cast are talented performers and, when the theatrical roots of the film are let loose, particularly during the opening credits, it comes to life. However, on the whole, Clint’s musical is a wasted opportunity.
One can think of so many other films, such as Dream Girls, that worked with very similar material but managed to hit higher dramatic notes and made for a far more satisfying cinematic experience.
Mairéad has awarded Jersey Boys two Torches of Truth
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