A more serious treatment of The Four Seasons

Rating: 9/10 (21 June 2014)

Having seen Jersey Boys on the stage, it was impossible to not compare the two. The stage version, which I tell everyone that if they ever go to live theater once in their life they must go see, is more juke box and less drama than this movie. But while the stage musical gets happy and comfortable early on and keeps it there most of the time (with the exception of the death of Frankie's daughter), the film builds up slower to the inevitable triumphant conclusion.
Eastwood promised that the film would not be a fluff piece, and it is not. If you want an episode of Glee, this isn't it. It is going to be more along the line of the Bobby Darrin biopic Beyond the Sea minus the mind games and a lead too old to play the part. There is humor (more understated that the stage version) but more drama, too.
But unlike Beyond the Sea, it is the music that carries this film. Beyond was all about the making, rise and fall of Darrin, Boys is about the making of their music. You get rises and falls, but ultimately the film ends on a very satisfying note.
If you are under the age of 45, you will likely have a hard time connecting to the film. For us Baby Boomers, Jersey Boys holds an important place in the soundtrack of our lives.