Detailed but not uplifting

Rating: 8/10 (18 July 2014)

Often the point of a movie version of a beloved musical is to give more story and detail than the stage version. Clint Eastwood surely gives more emphasis to the story. For fans of the musical it's fascinating to watch the characters of each singer brought to life in a less rushed manner than on stage where the story is more quickly handled that it's secondary to the music. In the movie the mob connection and role of each singer is clearly shown. The period detail is good and the actors and singers are all terrific having been picked from various stage productions.
Unfortunately this shift in focus is what brings a damper to the overall feel compared to the musical. The story of the struggle to succeed is interesting but the break up of the group and the family troubles of Frankie Valli are depressing. The biggest fault was what Clint did to "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" by linking Frankie Valli's daughter's death to the song and having the performance in a ballroom. In the musical it was a grand happy build up and the feel good climax of the whole show. In the movie it felt so anti climactic.
Overall it's a wonderful thing to have the great songs of Jersey Boys captured on screen for immortality. So despite the faults it's still worth watching for sure.