Jersey Boys (2014)

Jersey Boys

• I’ve been a fan of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons for as long as I can remember. Yes, I’m only 20 years old, but I’ve loved them since I first understood the concept of music. I can thank my dad for that. I remember being very young and hearing them for the first time, and it all just clicked. The harmonies, the passion, the whole 60’s sound…..they were certainly one of the greatest groups to ever do it. So, I finally got around to watching the biopic, directed by the one and only Clint Eastwood. I’m sorry, I meant Clint Beastwood. He did a pretty solid job with it, and it’s definitely underrated. I don’t know why it has a 51% on Rotten Tomatoes, cause I think it’s great. Like a lot of music biopics/documentaries, the movie does a good job at showing the behind the scenes of the group, not just the fun highlights. You see both the boyhood and manhood drama, that involves legal issues, financial troubles, and all the usual band stuff. It’s a good balance of the music side and the relationship side. The performances were solid, and I LOVE how they got the stage names rather than Hollywood names. People who actually knew and excelled at the character, rather than just some big name to bring in crowds. Kudos to those involved in that decision. The soundtrack was extremely strong, with most of their biggest hits. I’m glad they used “My Eyes Adored You”, which is an extremely personal song to me. I do wish they would’ve also used “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”. It’s not an original for the Four Seasons, but it’s one of their most underrated, and some of their best harmonies. Overall, this movie was pretty good, though it’s nothing groundbreaking. There are a couple bland moments, but not big enough to stick out and hurt the movie too much. I’d recommend this to all musical/drama/biopic fans. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go watch it now!