lifeless drama

Rating: 5/10 (17 April 2015)

It's 1951 Belleville, New Jersey. Tommy DeVito is a hustler. Frankie Valli is the sweet front man with the angelic voice. Along with Tommy's brother Nicky, they are the Variety Trio. They try to steal a safe and get caught. The DeVitos take the fall for Frankie. Everybody takes it easy on Frankie as the DeVitos go in and out of prison. Connected guy Gyp DeCarlo (Christopher Walken) loves Frankie's singing and watches out for him. Frankie marries brassy girl Mary Delgado. The actor Joe Pesci introduces singer songwriter Bob Gaudio to the group. With Nick Massi, the group is eventually named "The Four Seasons" as they climb the charts.
The biggest problem is the lack of charisma from the leads. They don't have the special personality to break out of the screen. Honestly, it's too easy for them to fade into the background. I'd rather not have the singing ability and have somebody with stronger screen presences. The most memorable part of the movie is stealing the safe. There is a general lifelessness about the movie. Some people may overlook everything for the music or the play. The split between Frankie and Tommy is probably the most compelling part of the plot. The movie should have zero in on that relationship like a laser beam.