'If it works, there'll be enough for everybody. If it doesn't, whats the difference'
Jersey Boys 7.2
Jersey Boys tells the interesting yet well trodden origin story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Frankie starts off as a son of the community, the kind of Italian American community where everyone knows everyone else and get involved with others- multiple people say to him 'shouldn't you be home by 11' which I thought was a nice touch. He is cared for by a doting mother and has a decent job but is desperate to break out and find fame - we hear that there are only three outcomes expected from a kid in New Jersey; military, mob or fame.
Although Frankie is undoubtedly the focus of the band and the musical plot line of the film, the human elements come from his relationship with his best friend and makeshift mentor Tommy, who in truth, anchors the film. All the main cast do a good job, but the actor who plays Tommy, Vincent Piazza, smashes it. He is the most interesting and flawed character, plus manages to believably act as the audience's guide, all whilst getting the us on side even through his more deplorable actions.
With the 1950s era and Italian American setting, it starts off feeling very much like a mob story. It has that old fashioned, washed out look that is so popular with modern films set around that time in American history. Then there is the Goodfellas connection. Not only does it have a very similar look and feel, but there are a few specifics revealed. The main guy introduces himself as Tommy DeVito.. any film fan will recognise that's the name of Joe Pesci's character in Scorsese's classic based on real people and events. The real life gangster was called Tommy DeSimone, so somewhere along the line the decision was made to change the name - Pesci and Scorsese together were well known for incorporating real life events into scripts, or sometimes improvising them, so perhaps it was Pesci's suggestion to use that name as he was involved in the band's conception.
Later on in Jersey Boys, Tommy DeVito meets a character named Joe Pesci working at a bowling alley, looks to the camera and says 'yeah, that's Joe Pesci, the film actor'... strange since at the time he wasn't a film actor yet. And, I could hardly believe it but a few minutes after, Joe Pesci is talking with somebody who says 'thats funny', and his reply is 'funny how'. Also in Goodfellas when Karen is screaming at Henry for standing her up she says 'who do you think you are, Frankie Valli or some kind of big shot'. So as a huge Goodfellas fan, all of these nods were enough to win my attention and affection.
Directed by Clint Eastwood who is known for his straight forward, no frills direction, this is a touch more flashy in places but still down the line and effective because of his restraint. Although I did find that the film overall seemed slightly muddled in terms of evoking it's time and place, and was paced unevenly. The moment the band are driving in the car with the green screen background like old American films was lost on me. I also had a slight issue with the storytelling choices. I like a film opening with straight to camera, 4th-wall break narration, but I think it does create an issue as the film goes on. Alot of plot gaps are filled in this same way, which in theory is fine but alot of the gaps could have been filled with effective dialogue - which would have played better. In short, there is too much of it, and I thought the film did suffer slightly from it.
Jersey Boys blends music biopics/gangster film formulaic elements including; friction with parents, the doomed first marriage, Impromptu performances of classic songs, creative differences in the band and contrived influence moments which seem to be a mainstay of modern biopics. For example, the boys get the band name as they happen to see the Four Seasons Hotel sign, and the phrase 'big girls don't cry', crops up organically in conversation.
The film features some great songs of course, I was reminded how many brilliant tunes the Jersey Boys came up with. But strangely, except for maybe the finale, the music seems strangely sidelined throughout, more of a byproduct than a story focus. Since what is left is a decent drama, I wasn't too bothered. I dont imagine it will live long in the memory, but was a technically proficient, entertaining, well made film.
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