Jersey Boys (2014)
Cast include: Vincent Piazza (Boardwalk Empire), John Lloyd Young (Jersey Boys, the play), Steve Schirripa (The Sopranos), Christopher Walken (Catch Me If You Can), Jonny Cannizzaro (Dark Fantasy), Michael Lomenda (Jersey Boys, the play), Renée Marino (Jersey Boys, the play), Erich Bergen (How Sweet It Is), Mike Doyle (Green Lantern)
Writers: Marshall Brickman (Annie Hall), Rick Elice (Jersey Boys, the play)
Director: Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino, Unforgiven)
Genre: Musical | Biography | History | Humor | Light Drama (134 min)
The thumping beat of “Oh, What a Night” set’s the stage and takes us back to Belleville NJ, 1951. “You wanna hear the real story?” Tommy DeVito asks us. He starts with Frankie Castelluccio. At 16, Frankie’s an apprentice barber, but mob boss Mr. DeCarlo thinks more of Frankie’s voice than his razor skills. “A voice like yours is a gift from God.” Tommy looks us in the eye and explains the three ways to make it out of Belleville… join the army, get mobbed up or get famous like Sinatra. Frankie’s mom can’t understand her son’s “infatuation with those mamaluke friends.” But they’re singing at the school dance… after they hold up a jewelry store. Frankie’s the youngest in the group, but he’s the one with the voice that drives the girls crazy… a high-pitched nasal falsetto. “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” has that cute redhead swooning, but detectives cut the “Romeo act” short. Tommy gets sent back to the joint for 6 months for the jewelry store job, but the trio keeps practicing.
Frankie thinks he needs a stage name… Frankie “Valley,” he says. “Valli, with an ‘i’,” say new girlfriend Mary… “You’re Italian.” Between mob jobs, stints in the joint and Frankie’s barbershop job, the trio limps along until Joey (Joe Pesci) introduces them to Bob Gaudio. Bob is a singer, songwriter and a rather shrewd businessman… Tommy doesn’t want him, but Frankie does. So the trio becomes a foursome. At this point, Bob takes over the narration. He tells us about Bob Crewe, the music producer who wants them to sing back-up for other singers… until “Sherrie Baby” breaks through and gets them an appearance on American Bandstand. Their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show takes them to yet another level, but it’s going to take a lot more to escape Belleville… if they ever can.
Jersey Boys is the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. It’s not one story, but four… “Everybody remembers it the way they need to,” says Tommy. By the end, Tommy, Frankie, Bob and Nick all take turns telling us their memories. Even if you’ve seen the play, the movie is well worth seeing… there are more story elements than in the play, and Clint Eastwood has done a great job keeping it interesting and fun. With a mix of Broadway actors from the play and film actors, the performances are generally quite good. John Lloyd Young’s Frankie could have had a bit more charisma, but he does a very convincing Valli falsetto. It’s hard to measure up to a critically acclaimed play, but Jersey Boys does. The music is fun, the production is clever, it’s beautifully shot in funky 50’s-era Technicolor and the story is engaging. In 1990, the group comes together again after 20 years, when they are inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame… “Oh, What a Night!”
4 popped kernels
No meteoric rise for Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons… it takes a lot of hits… and misses… to make it to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Popcorn Profile
Rated: R (Language)
Audience: Grown-ups
Gender Style: Neutral
Distribution: Mainstream Wide Release
Mood: Upbeat
Tempo: Zips Right Along
Visual Style: High-End Production
Nutshell: Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons
Language: True to life
Social Significance: Pure Entertainment & Informative
