Directed By: Clint Eastwood (Million Dollar Baby) Starring: John Lloyd Young, Vincent Piazza, Michael Lomenda, Erich Bergen, Christopher Walken
Rating: R for language throughout
Run Time: 2 hours, 14 minutes
Synopsis: Based on the hit Broadway show of the same name, Jersey Boys follows the ups and downs of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, from their formation in Jersey to their money troubles with the mob and the fallout that ensued, all told from the perspective of the band members themselves.
REVIEW
Andrew: Hello readers! A few days ago Sarah and I checked out one of this past weekend’s new wide releases, Jersey Boys, an adaptation of the popular Broadway show of the same title. This film version, directed by none other than Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood of all people, stars John Lloyd Young as he reprises his original Broadway role as Frankie Valli, Vincent Piazza of Boadwalk Empire fame as Tommy DeVito and Christopher Walken.
Sarah, I think this will be a little bit of an interesting review since you have actually seen the Broadway show in New York City while I have never seen in any incarnation. So this was my first experience with the story. I’ll let you kick it off with what you thought, especially in comparison to the stage show.
Sarah:
Well, I’ll start off by saying this: compared to the show…it’s not even close. The
original show is a true musical. It not only chronicles the path to fame for the
Four Seasons but also highlights their music and incorporates it in the show to
really tell a story. In the movie, the music was just a background.
A: Just to
interject real quick, to me this movie felt like more of a biopic in the vein
of Walk
the Line or Ray. And not unlike those movies, they used the music in more of
a, “Hey, here’s them recording their first hit, here’s them in their first
television performance,” etc.
