Monday, June 23, 2014

Jersey Boys

Frankie Valli’s life is the stuff that dreams are made of. A real life rags-to-riches tale that includes fame, fortune, heartbreak, great music, the mob, and Joe Pesci. So really… what’s not to like? Unfortunately, plenty. At least concerning the film version of Jersey Boys, itself adapted from the wildly successful and immensely entertaining Broadway musical of the same name. Clint Eastwood’s film spends much of its running time trying to find itself. And while the intentions of everyone involved are noble, there simply isn’t enough talent to make this film sing as loudly as it wants.

The most prominent error is the casting of John Lloyd Young, who won a Tony for playing Valli in the initial stage production of “Jersey Boys.” On the stage, particularly the Broadway musical stage, theatrics are essential. Movements demand to be flamboyant and exaggerated; facial expressions big and lively for all the crowd to see. But unless you’re going for parody, that enthusiastic animation doesn’t translate well on screen. Young, try though he might, doesn’t have the necessary nuance of a film actor. He struggles through his emotional arcs and never appears confident in his surroundings. In fact, the only time Young seems self-assured is during the film’s musical numbers, scenes that themselves have a few problems.
Songs in most musicals are pre-recorded in advance by the actor, which leaves very little room for emotional expression when the scene is filmed on set. Essentially, if you pre-record musical numbers, the actor has to decide their character motivations months before they actually play the character. This is one of the main reasons I have so much trouble with the musical genre, because often, there is very little emotion involved in musical numbers.

The flip side is live-recording, which is recording an actor singing on screen while a scene is being filmed. At its best, live-recording allows actors to truly be in the moment and act while singing. But the problem with this method is that the sound of the musical numbers is never as loud and clear as it should be. The volume is always a tad too low, which prohibits the film from really cranking out that bombastic number we all want. All of the musical performances in Jersey Boys were recorded live, and while the actors have impressive vocal range, the songs never hit as hard as they could. Save the film’s thrilling final performance, which was shot on a studio back lot and is by long and far the best moment of the movie.

One final note of irritation, Jersey Boys is 134 minutes long but could easily be two hours. Late in the film, we’re introduced to a random subplot involving Valli’s troubled teenage daughter. And while it’s important to note the impact that Valli’s daughter had on his life, the extended (and, again, very random) conversations about her potential as a great singer are entirely unneeded. If those scenes were cut, the film could’ve moved briskly through its weighty third act.
Now for some good news. One of the originating Four Seasons, a bad boy named Tommy DeVito, is played here with fiery gusto by Vincent Piazza. Piazza is the only relative known film/TV actor of the main four characters (he’s thrilling as Lucky Luciano on Boardwalk Empire), and his experience really shows in Jersey Boys. DeVito is an unlikeable character that Piazza embraces wholeheartedly, nearly outshining the likes of Christopher Walken, who is great as local hood, Gyp DeCarlo. (There’s also a nice meta performance from Joseph Russo, who as a young Joe Pesci says things like “Funny how?” and “Okay, okay, okay,” in natural conversation).

This review reads like I have a strong distaste for Jersey Boys, but that honestly isn’t the case. Most of my qualms with the film could’ve been resolved with minor adjustments, and it’s a shame to see the potential greatness brewing just underneath the surface. While the movie felt long, I was never fully bored, and, all told, I’m glad I saw it. If its final musical number is any evidence, everyone in this film really did give it their all, but perhaps their all wasn’t enough to match the story at hand. C

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20 comments:

  1. I'm pretty much on the same page you are with this film. I had some time to kill on Friday between two movies I actually wanted to see so I just decided to give this a go. I don't feel as though my time was wasted by seeing it, but it's definitely not Eastwood's finest hour as a director. I actually thought John Lloyd Young was pretty solid in this to be honest who I agree that he could have been more nuanced, but I thought he went through his character arc pretty efficiently. As someone who doesn't particularly care for this type of music, even I could appreciate his talent in the role. Having said all that, this was probably the film I liked the least of the three I sat through (which also included Words & Pictures and The Rover - a film I'd love to hear your thoughts on!)

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    1. I mean, Young wasn't HORRIBLE or anything, but I did think against Piazza and Walken (and even the gal who played his wife), he paled in comparison. Great charisma during the musical numbers, but his dramatics didn't work for me. Still, I'm glad the flick wasn't a total wash.

      Posting my Rover review later today. LOVED it.

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  2. Since his career resurgence a decade ago, Clint's films have become bloated and rambling. He's skilled (generally) at tone and performance, but the guy desperately needs an editor who can in his narrative excesses. There was a while when I looked forward to each film, but I've skipped all of them since Hereafter.

    That said, I'm intrigued by his tackling a pop musical as some of the sequences in Bird were simply magic. May have to check this one out on Netflix with greatly lowered expectations.

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    1. Yeah man, I definitely know where you're coming from. I haven't really liked a film of his since Letters from Iwo Jima. Changeling has a great cast, and Hereafter has two splendid scenes, but J. Edgar is the worst film he's ever made, in my opinion. Now, Jersey Boys isn't that bad, but yes, a new editor would be a wise decision. And, sadly, the music sequences in Jersey Boys don't hold a candle to the ones in Bird.

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    2. Letters from Iwo Jima is second only to Unforgiven among Clint's directorial output, so it's been a shame to watch his decline in the years since. I saw that Kazunari Ninomiya made your "underrated performances" list and I wholeheartedly agree. It's one of the finest performances of that year. Unfortunately, the last time I checked, he hasn't done much else on screen. (He's apparently also a pop star in Japan, but he was perfect in that role.)

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    3. I had no idea he was a famous pop start until researching that post. So funny how in the dark we are about global figures like that. But either way, yeah, what a towering performance he gave in Letters.

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  3. I was hoping to take my mother to see this film because we liked Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Yet, based on the reviews. I think I'll skip it as well as suggest that Clint should retire or make one more western. Besides, the film that my mom really wants to see is Chef.

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    1. If she's a big Valli fan (as my mother is), that could outweigh the film's faults for her (as it did with my mom). But you're likely to be a tad bored. And still, Chef is the better movie.

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  4. My dad and stepmom saw this on stage in Broadway. It's a shame the film adaptation wasn't better -- it sounds like it could have benefited from better editing. Thanks for the honest, balanced review.

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    1. Thank YOU for reading. That's funny, my dad and stepmom saw this on Broadway as well and loved it. I never got around to seeing it on stage, but I doubt this film version comes close to being as good as the play.

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  5. Great and balanced review, Alex. After listening to some of the songs performed by the Original Broadway Cast, I was quite excited to see this movie. That is, until the reviews started coming in. Like thevoid99 mentioned, I also think that Clint should either retire or make one more western.

    Speaking of musicals, I know from this review that you have problems with the genre, but what is your favourite? Mine would have to be Into the Woods, what a gem that is! I was slightly worried in regards to the supposed changes made for the movie, but after Sondheim made another statement, I am a little more at ease. What is your take on the other musicals coming this year?

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    1. Thanks Aditya! Do you mean my favorite stage musical? Because I am, sadly, very unfamiliar with stage work. I love dramatic theater, but I've never lived in a place where it is easily accessible. So I guess I don't have a favorite musical play, unfortunately. Movies, hmmm... I love Grease and South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut. I also enjoy a number of old-school Disney films (if those count), All that Jazz, West Side Story, and Moulin Rouge! off the top of my head :)

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    2. I haven't been able to see an actual stage play or musical either, I watched a filmed version of Into the Woods. That's my favourite stage musical, and as for movies, it would have to be a toss-up between All That Jazz and Cabaret.

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    3. I haven't seen Cabaret in so long. All That Jazz is a lot of fun though.

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  6. Pretty much agree with everything you said here! I definitely thought Piazza was great. Always fun to be in agreement!

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    1. Sure is! Love hearing some additional praise for Piazza.

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  7. Saw this film last night. I think I actually disliked it even more than you. I love those famous Four Seasons tunes, and this movie just didn't do them justice. You're right. They're too low and dull. The daughter and family drama subplot doesn't work at all. And what about that facial hair on Gaudio. Horrible makeup job! Piazza did rock it. That guy is really good. I'm also sad that Walken, while occasionally funny, was for the most part wasted. Good post!

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    1. Thanks Kevin! Seems like we're pretty much in line here. I love The Four Seasons, but this movie never made me want to sing along, you know? The musical numbers were okay, but they never fully got there. A shame. But Piazza... man, that guy's got fire.

      Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

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  8. I was concerned about the casting, so I'm not surprised that it is problematic. Also, Eastwood movies tend to run long these days. I might see it this week, but I'm keeping my expectations down.

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    1. It definitely does run too long, and it is pretty obvious what could have been easily cut. Not a total wash, but certainly far from great.

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