Reeling on Clint Eastwood's "Jersey Boys"

The Four Seasons, distinguished by lead singer Frankie Valli's (Tony winner John Lloyd Young) pure falsetto, were one of the biggest pop bands of the 1960's.  But few know about their decade long struggle to make it big while pulling off petty crimes and skirting the local mob as "Jersey Boys."

In adapting the Broadway musical to film (Screenplay by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elise), director Clint Eastwood fuses the old neighborhood brotherhood as his base note, layering in the conflicts among the original four members with the play's pass-the-baton, Rashomon-like, direct address device. The music (Eastwood chose to go with "Les Miserables'" live singing approach) and characterizations are terrific, but the film is a bit insular, never providing an outside perspective on period events or quite nailing the stature of the group in the zeitgeist at various points in time.  The production also feels set bound, using few exterior locations (and one obvious rear screen projection).  There may be a few off notes, but on the whole Eastwood's movie is an enjoyable, often humorous, informative band biopic, its four leads creating distinctive characters.

To read the rest of Laura's review, click here:
http://www.reelingreviews.com/jerseyboys.htm