Clint Eastwood may be primarily known for his acting, but he is also an acclaimed director. He has made films in many different genres and sometimes one of them can feel a little surprising when it seems so far out of his comfort zone – mostly westerns, war, and dramas. This is probably why his decision to direct 2014’s Jersey Boys felt like such an unexpected but interesting move for him. For the few who aren’t aware, Jersey Boys is based on the award-winning musical of the same name about the group The Four Seasons which had very successful runs both on Broadway and in the West End.
The film opens in Belleville, New Jersey and the year is 1951. We see the first instance of one of the film’s recurring elements, the band members breaking the fourth wall. Tommy DeVito (Vincent Piazza) introduces the story and before long we meet Frankie (Valli) Castelluccio (John Lloyd Young, who also played the role on Broadway) who is working at a barbershop and is known for his unusually strong singing voice. He has the respect of gangster Gyp DeCarlo (Christopher Walken). It takes a while, but soon Frankie and Tommy, along with Nick Massi (Michael Lomenda) and Bob Gaudio (Erich Bergen) all become the renowned band after a lot of struggling and get to experience the highs and lows of the life and career they have chosen.
I’m not too sure where to start with the performances, but I guess it only makes sense to start with Lloyd Young as he is the lead role. He’s perfectly competent as Valli and there is a sense of vocal evolution with him, which is only appropriate as the film covers nearly forty years. Eastwood also deserves come credit for casting a Broadway actor and not a predictable Hollywood star. The others could risk getting pushed to the side but that is certainly not the case with Piazza who is clearly invested in playing a man who thinks and acts cool, confident and in control most of the time; he gives DeVito an appealing level of charisma which makes it hard not to notice him. The other two were okay, but I had to keep alert as to who was playing who. Bergen maybe stands out a bit more in the scenes where he has to convey that he is not from the same way of life as the rest of the group and is somewhat naïve.
Christopher Walken isn’t in the film as much as I would have liked, but he really makes the most of his screentime.
The supporting roles and the actors playing them don’t really leave much of an impact as the characters are really rather clichéd. But in a very surprising turn that I didn’t see coming, Joey Russo as Joe Pesci left quite an impression. He may be a teenager but we as an audience know the kind of person Pesci will become. I may have just been seeing things but when he bulges his eyes you can almost see the real Pesci – which is a small but well observed touch.
The main writers of the script, Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, have their own ties to the original show. I am uncertain if it’s due to the way they have chosen to adapt it for the screen, or Eastwood’s pacing and directing, but there’s a little bit of tonal confusion. After all, this is meant to be about The Four Seasons and their music – but a good hour passes before any of that really starts to come through. The first half feels more like a film about young men getting involved in a life of crime complete with a very early robbery sequence which could very well have been a film in its own right. It does make things a little jarring when it goes from robberies, courtroom and prison to singing and having hits and living an extravagant lifestyle. I knew the music would eventually come, but I was quite taken back by how long it took to get there. When the songs and success actually start, it feels like it’s jumping from key moment to key moment at quite a fast pace.
I will admit I’m not as well versed in musicals as some people, but I have seen some musicals and biopics of famous musicians. This doesn’t feel like either of those. For one thing, if it were a biopic about Frankie Valli it would focus squarely on him and give very little time to anyone else as he was (and still is) the face of the band. I’d also hesitate to call it a musical as there’s no sense of suspension of disbelief, no bright or lively aesthetic which is something I am led to believe is to be expected whenever Eastwood is at the helm. People don’t all burst into song all at once. That doesn’t happen until the end credits – but that’s maybe the worst possible place to put the closet thing the film has to a musical number; as it’s happening, people will be either walking out of the cinema or getting ready to turn off the TV. The most outlandish thing about it all is the ‘addressing the audience’ method of going through the narrative. It’s certainly more drama than musical which isn’t a problem in my view, but while the stage show can call itself a musical, I would say the film should wear the title loosely.
Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons of course have several hits that are still known and played today, like Sherry, Big Girls Don’t Cry, Walk Like A Man, Rag Doll, My Eyes Adored You and Can’t Take My Eyes Off You. All are present, along with several other songs that you get to hear a little bit of while others get forgotten about completely. I have enjoyed The Four Seasons for many years now but while they had to include the hits I’m sure people like me would also have enjoyed some attention to the less familiar songs as some of them are rather good. The songs are sung in a perfectly acceptable fashion. I have praised Lloyd Young’s singing and while he does strive to emulate Valli’s falsetto voice, it’s difficult to get complete immersion and forget that it’s just a performance. Of course the others sing too, but as in real life it’s Lloyd Young who stands out.
Like all films based on real people and bands, there can be much debate about what really happened and how, and what has been embellished, but Jersey Boys delivers what it promises (eventually). It might not have as much of the stage show’s appeal and may be a little uncertain of what genre it’s really in, but the good performances, singing and music really help to maintain interest. This is easily the most enjoyable film directed by Eastwood that I’ve seen.
But I think it would be better to judge it on its own merits rather than holding it up to the stage show. Fans of the band and show should have a good time watching it. I liked it for what it was, but I wouldn’t go as far to say that it left me ‘Beggin’ for more.
