Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? Yes.
Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? Of course!
Secret ending? No.
Running time: 134 minutes (2.25 hours)
“Jersey Boys” is a musical drama film that tells the tale of the musical group, “The Four Seasons.” It follows the rise and fall of the group, and works as a dramatised biography of the 60’s band. It stars John Lloyd Young (Frankie Valli), Vincent Piazza (Tommy DeVito), and Christopher Walken (Gyp DeCarlo).
Make no mistake – “Jersey Boys” is not a musical, but a film with specific musical segments in it. Even without the musical performances, “Jersey Boys” still delivers a compelling story and genuine characters, told in a semi-autobiographical way, with several characters speaking directly to the camera at some points.
So what makes “Jersey Boys” such a treat to watch?
Vincent Piazza steals the show as Tommy DeVito
Vincent Piazza imbues Tommy DeVito with a great charisma and depth. No mean feat, considering that Tommy is a very unpleasant character to begin with. Somehow, his actions seem understandable, even forgiveable, at times, which add so many shades of colour and meaning to Tommy’s personality. Piazza’s portrayal further enhances the main theme of the film, which is:
The strong theme of friendship
If there’s one overriding message that you’ll take home, it’s that the Four Seasons were friends, first and foremost. The way they came together, their final scene in the film, all serve to highlight the strong bonds of brotherhood that these four friends developed.
The growth and characterisation of the Four Seasons
Although slow to begin, the four characters are given strong character growth and distinctive personalities as they come of age. The organic way their characters grow and clash with each other fits perfectly into the theme and is given believable, everyman detail. If you’ve ever been in a group of four guys, you can tell that the Jersey Boys act in the exact same way.
The gorgeous sets
The 1960s sets are simply amazing. You spend just as much time marvelling at the tremendous amount of meticulous detail put into the set design, as you do watching the actors’ performances. The visuals are so effective at immersing you in the era of the 1960s, that they are a character in and of themselves – representing the carefree spirit of the 1960s.
Of course, “Jersey Boys” did have its fair share of flaws.
The pacing is slow
Act Two just drags on and on – if not for the musical numbers, this entire Act could have been forgotten. Act Three picks up speed but seems to limp onwards after a series of exciting climaxes, making the long run time (134 minutes) feel even longer, as the movie shuffles towards its conclusion.
Characterisation wasn’t evident until the middle of Act Two
Although the four leads have firmly differentiated characters by the end of the film, their motivations aren’t so clear in the first half of the film. This leads to some bland interactions between the band, simply because we’re not given sufficient information about them to understand their actions.
John Lloyd Young was lacklustre as Frankie Valli
It’s not that Frankie Valli was a boring character in any sense, but John Lloyd Young had a perpetual blank expression as Frankie Valli. This makes Frankie seem very passive and lethargic, when he should be the driving force of the film.
After watching the tale of the Four Seasons, “Jersey Boys” will doubtlessly leave you going home with good vibes. It is a movie that shines through the strength of its own dramatic storytelling and immersive characterisation. The musical performances are just cherries on the top.
“Jersey Boys” opens in cinemas 17 July, 2014 (Thursday).
This review was also published on Yahoo Movies Singapore.
Hi there everyone, it’s my first visit at this website, and article is actually fruitful designed for me, keep up posting such posts.