Before we start, I should admit to being a fan of musicals. And the stage production of Jersey Boys. And The Four Seasons, more so than other similar groups. My bias has now been accounted for.
I went to see Clint Eastwood's musical directorial debut last week with a lot of anticipation and no small amount of apprehension. Though I generally like his work, the excessive praise it often receives considerably dampens my own response. (I still fight down a growl remembering that Million Dollar Baby won the Best Picture Oscar over The Aviator in 2004.) John Lloyd Young's presence as Frankie Valli in the film, however, encouraged me, as he had originated the role on Broadway.
The film is most certainly not a typical exercise in musical cinema. It has surprisingly little glamour or glitter, and it doesn't have that moment of a star being born before your eyes. This story is not Glee. It's not even Dreamgirls (2006).
Eastwood expertly guides the film away from many genre clichés by simplifying the color palette, restricting the camerawork, and focusing on performances, costumes, and hair and makeup. His passion for telling these characters' story is so apparent in the intimacy and compassion with which he presents them to us. He even keeps Tommy's narrations (retained from the stage production) casual and informative; while some may see his breaking through the fourth wall as contrived, I don't see a better way to implicate the audience while simultaneously providing the necessary information and character development. Eastwood's vision for the story wouldn't allow voice-overs, and any extra scenes that might "show" instead of "tell" would be horribly confusing in any director's hands.
I found myself surprised that Eastwood took his time with this picture. Each shot feels slightly slowed down, and the dialogue isn't exactly racing. But the final product is a beautiful love-letter to a specific time period, musical style, and group of people. Muted colors and relaxed pacing elicit a strong sense of nostalgia that showbiz fabulousness would have sacrificed. Without spoiling anything, though, don't think this film is a stick in the mud -- the finale has plenty of fun and feels to pluck you up in the last minutes!
That's not to say there's no tension: above the constant threat of Mob violence and upon the brink of financial ruin, our four heroes struggle to achieve their dreams. Though their dreams are slightly different, they attempt to live in the harmonies they create. Reconciling domestic life, finances, and egos, however, prove to be overwhelming. Besides strong performances from the four singers, Christopher Walken provides a much-needed sense of experience to the young cast and bolsters the emerging themes of honor and brotherhood.
There's a lot of heart in this film -- so much that I found myself surprised and teary-eyed several times. In the absence of glitzy theatrical spectacle, allow yourself to appreciate the excellent hair, costuming, and makeup. Allow the performances to teach you something about brotherhood, passion, and chasing your dreams. Most importantly, allow yourself to tap your foot and fall in love with the beautiful music all over again. You'll be glad you did.
IMDb: Jersey Boys
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