Musical Biopic, 2014
2 hours, 14 minutes
Screenplay by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice
Based on the Broadway Musical "Jersey Boys"
Directed by Clint Eastwood
Rated R for "language throughout"
Starring
John Lloyd Young
Erich Bergen
Michael Lomenda
Vincent Piazza
Christopher Walken
"Funny how?"
When I think of Clint Eastwood, I think of Harry Callahan. William Munny. The Man With No fuckin' Name. But he's had a good run as a director... well, maybe not recently. He doesn't have much of an outstanding directorial style. He was just a good filmmaker. As of late, he's had a bit of a dry spell with his films. Not since 2008's Gran Torino has he received many good reviews. Unfortunately, Jersey Boys, which chronicles the rise and fall of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, is just straight up a bad movie and a sadly lazy piece of filmmaking.
The strength of the film lies in its acting and soundtrack. That's about it. The performances are as good as they can be, while the music is just as good as the actual records from back in the day. John Lloyd Young, who reprises his Tony winning role as Frankie Valli from the Broadway show, is easily the best part of the entire production. What else about this movie is good? Not so much...
Jersey Boys' flaws stem from poor filmmaking. Right from the opening scene, I felt completely uninterested, which is rare for just about any movie ever. Every film, even the bad ones, has something going on to get the film rolling from the get-go. Jersey Boys had me bored from the very start. I didn't feel captivated or interested by anything.
Things don't get much better from there. The only interesting aspect of the story is anything in regards to the music. The music is great. Hell, the music is easily the single best part about the film. It's an amazing soundtrack! But it isn't enough to save the story, which fails due to a few uninteresting subplots that don't seem to go anywhere or add to the story. Not just that, but there are a few glaring structural issues as well. The progression of time is barely present. The best example of this is the subplot with Frankie's family. In an early scene, a very young Frankie takes a girl out on a date. Their relationship from the first date isn't believable, and it cuts from said first date to their wedding. Next time we see the wife, 20 minutes later, they've got a young daughter. Then Frankie has a discussion with the same daughter (who is suddenly older, about 10 or so). Then in the final act, his daughter is a young woman who gets into trouble and has a heart to heart with Frankie. We don't feel anything for the girl because we don't know her. It's frustrating to see this relationship blossom out of nowhere, and then we're expected to have sympathy for these characters once something happens to them. In addition to the shitty subplot, it's difficult to see the progression of fame and wealth that the Four Seasons attain throughout the years. Most films cover the rise and fall, but in this case it's just about the music. Then it becomes about the money. But then the money was never a big deal before... so where is this stuff coming from? The film is driven by a messy narrative that doesn't actually need to be so messy.
When I said above that the problems stem from poor filmmaking, that includes a couple of other elements in the process of making the film. For one, Jersey Boys is an adaptation of a musical. Sure, musicals might move the action along a little quicker and in a different style than a film, but you have to take that into account when doing the actual adaptation. Secondly, the film ignores any sort of rules set by musical biopics from the past. YES, I am saying that this film does not fall into any sort of cliched plot because it simply cuts these elements short. The family subplot is in every musical biopic but in Jersey Boys, it's obvious that a few scenes were left on the cutting room floor, giving us only a weak outline of what's actually going on. Stuff that should be there simply is not, and that is not acceptable for this type of movie. Maybe Eastwood wanted something different, but in this case, it doesn't work. He tried to break the rules and he failed.
The only positive experience I got from Jersey Boys is a new appreciation for Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Performances are strong and the soundtrack is great. The writing, pacing, and overall plot? Underwhelming at best. There are a few moments that could have been more memorable. The introduction of the song "Sherry" was snooze-worthy when it could have been a standout moment. But no. Strong performances and a great soundtrack do not fix a fractured and boring narrative. If you're a die hard fan of the band, it's worth your time. Otherwise, sticking to the Broadway show might be your best bet.
5/10
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