MOVIE OF THE WEEK #2 (6/20/14): JERSEY BOYS
"OK, now I'm going to ask you this again: Where is my sandwich?!" Frankie Valli (John Lloyd Young, left), Bob Gaudio (Erich Bergen, in sweater), Tommy DeVito (Vincent Piazza) and Nick Massi (Michael Lomenda) discuss things over in a scene from director Clint Eastwood's JERSEY BOYS. Credit: Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures © 2014 Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. and Ratpac Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.
WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:
KEY CAST MEMBERS: John Lloyd Young, Erich Bergen, Michael Lomenda, Vincent Piazza, Renée Marino, Mike Doyle, Joseph Russo and Christopher Walken
WRITER(S): Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice (screenplay and musical book);
DIRECTOR(S): Clint Eastwood
WEB SITE: http://jerseyboysmovie.com
60 SECOND PLOT SYNOPSIS (OR AS CLOSE TO IT AS ONE CAN TRY TO MAKE): The big screen version of the Broadway smash musical, Jersey Boys finds John Lloyd Young reprising his Tony Award-winning role as Frankie Castelluccio – a.k.a. the 1950s New Jersey teenager who would become known to the world as Frankie Valli. An impressionable youth, Frankie often spends time hanging out with his best friend Tommy DeVito (Vincent Piazza), a talented musician who often gets a bit too involved with petty crimes and whatever else the connected Gyp DeCarlo (Christopher Walken) needs.
Eventually meeting and marrying Mary (Renée Marino), Frankie – along with Tommy along with the baritone vocal stylings of Nick Massi (Michael Lomenda) – thinks the group's career can really take off when he meets songwriting supreme Bob Gaudio (Erich Bergen). But will the pressures of a new member, life on the road and their own desires for success be too much for Frankie and the rest of the Four Seasons (as they come to be known) to handle? Only time, or more accurately, this story will tell ...
WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST?: Frankie Valli fans, people who enjoy musical bio pics, music historians, people who loved the Broadway musical
WHO WON'T – OR SHOULDN'T – LIKE THIS FILM?: People who love – or hate – the Broadway musical depending on how they feel the musical translated to the silver screen, those disinterested in pop music history, those who don't like films that at times they are derivative of The Sopranos
BOTTOM LINE – IS IT GOOD, GREAT, BAD OR DOWNRIGHT AWFUL? Thanks to compelling performances by the cast, Jersey Boys may not be a Broadway smash, but it's definitely an interesting and entertaining watch.
WHAT'S GOOD (OR BAD) ABOUT IT? Having not seen the musical version of Jersey Boys, I cannot tell you how the filmed version compares to the live show. That being said, what I can tell you is that what makes the film such an enjoyable watch is just how committed each actor is to their character. While it's highly unlikely he would ever be mentioned by anyone in the same vein as Jamie Foxx and his performance in the movie Ray, Lloyd does his very best to make you believe he is Valli and not doing an imitation of him. While his personal life is not explored as deeply as Charles' was in Ray – which could have taken the film to the next level – Valli's musical highs and lows come to light where you understand his desires and feel the effects good and bad of his actions.
While it feels that way for much of the film, Jersey Boys isn't all about Valli, which is why proper credit must be given to Eastwood for interspersing parts of the other characters as well as the world they live and how it influences their respective lives. Piazza does a very commendable job as the villain in the story, it never feels un-organic to the story. Lomenda also has a great scene that comes at just the right time in the story, injecting a fantastic moment of humor unexpectedly. It's subtle nuances like that which in turn keep Jersey Boys a compelling watch.
Of course, the music is certainly on center stage in the film (and with good reason) – but so is the entire time period – it economics, its politics, its clothing, etc. – is prominently featured on display, helping in turn to see why the players featured are trying to make the most of the opportunities they are presented. Of course, the strength of the music is the thing you will likely walk away remembering, especially as the performances build on the strength of the previous one. Lloyd's performance will show you just how much artists like Justin Timberlake and Robin Thicke owe to the likes of Valli and showcases just how a powerful performance can make a legend from humble beginnings.
That being said, some may enjoy the comedic flamboyance Mike Doyle puts into his portrayal of music producer Bob Crewe ... Others may find it a bit too stereotypical. Likewise, some may wish the film focused a bit more on Valli's personal life with his family as opposed in regards to the group, but given that Valli himself is an executive producer, he likely had the ability to pick and choose just how deep he wanted to go. (That's not to suggest the film glosses over anything; it's just that more exploration could have led to a more complete experience.) The film spends more time establishing Valli as a good guy trying to make right, but, as it stands, it's a pretty solid effort overall that showcases the reasons why music – good music – is forever.
Given that was likely the intent of everyone involved in making Jersey Boys happen, the film achieves its goal.
WHO WON'T – OR SHOULDN'T – LIKE THIS FILM?: People who love – or hate – the Broadway musical depending on how they feel the musical translated to the silver screen, those disinterested in pop music history, those who don't like films that at times they are derivative of The Sopranos
BOTTOM LINE – IS IT GOOD, GREAT, BAD OR DOWNRIGHT AWFUL? Thanks to compelling performances by the cast, Jersey Boys may not be a Broadway smash, but it's definitely an interesting and entertaining watch.
WHAT'S GOOD (OR BAD) ABOUT IT? Having not seen the musical version of Jersey Boys, I cannot tell you how the filmed version compares to the live show. That being said, what I can tell you is that what makes the film such an enjoyable watch is just how committed each actor is to their character. While it's highly unlikely he would ever be mentioned by anyone in the same vein as Jamie Foxx and his performance in the movie Ray, Lloyd does his very best to make you believe he is Valli and not doing an imitation of him. While his personal life is not explored as deeply as Charles' was in Ray – which could have taken the film to the next level – Valli's musical highs and lows come to light where you understand his desires and feel the effects good and bad of his actions.
While it feels that way for much of the film, Jersey Boys isn't all about Valli, which is why proper credit must be given to Eastwood for interspersing parts of the other characters as well as the world they live and how it influences their respective lives. Piazza does a very commendable job as the villain in the story, it never feels un-organic to the story. Lomenda also has a great scene that comes at just the right time in the story, injecting a fantastic moment of humor unexpectedly. It's subtle nuances like that which in turn keep Jersey Boys a compelling watch.
Of course, the music is certainly on center stage in the film (and with good reason) – but so is the entire time period – it economics, its politics, its clothing, etc. – is prominently featured on display, helping in turn to see why the players featured are trying to make the most of the opportunities they are presented. Of course, the strength of the music is the thing you will likely walk away remembering, especially as the performances build on the strength of the previous one. Lloyd's performance will show you just how much artists like Justin Timberlake and Robin Thicke owe to the likes of Valli and showcases just how a powerful performance can make a legend from humble beginnings.
That being said, some may enjoy the comedic flamboyance Mike Doyle puts into his portrayal of music producer Bob Crewe ... Others may find it a bit too stereotypical. Likewise, some may wish the film focused a bit more on Valli's personal life with his family as opposed in regards to the group, but given that Valli himself is an executive producer, he likely had the ability to pick and choose just how deep he wanted to go. (That's not to suggest the film glosses over anything; it's just that more exploration could have led to a more complete experience.) The film spends more time establishing Valli as a good guy trying to make right, but, as it stands, it's a pretty solid effort overall that showcases the reasons why music – good music – is forever.
Given that was likely the intent of everyone involved in making Jersey Boys happen, the film achieves its goal.
OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):
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