The Music is the Soul of This Film

Rating: 8/10 (21 June 2014)

One can't help but join in the joyful portrayal of these classic songs. Yes, Eastwood has adapted the play into a very good musical, with his usual restraint and an amazing attention to detail. We are treated to an old fashioned musical but with an interesting twist. The songs weren't written for the movie or the musical; they were integrated into it, and we get to see where they come from, who wrote them, who performed them, and whatever the main characters were going through at the time.
It's interesting to see the background of Valli, and how he put family and loyalty ahead of everything else. He was always grateful for the favors people did for him, leading him to take on the arduous task of paying a gargantuan amount of money incurred by one of his friends. The story shows him from a naive 16-year old to his sixties when he reunites with the band for his induction into the hall of fame.
The road to success was colorful, and this is where we learn about The Four Seasons' association with some infamous people. Some of the members had records (and not the musical ones), and Frankie ended up asking for favors from some people your mother wouldn't advise you to be seen with. "Jersey Boys" does show all of this a rather benign way because this is after all not "Macbeth" or "Madama Butterfly", but there are exhilarating highs (each one of the musical numbers), and some very sad scenes dealing with family issues and the low points of their career.
Overall, the performances are golden, and the singing is very good. Chills will go down your spine when you hear the first performances of the film, and "Sherry", "Big Girls Don't Cry" are plenty of fun to see performed live. The true highlight of the movie is the rendition of "Can't Take My Eyes Off You", a number that revived Valli's career and allowed him to go back where he belonged.
It's not a perfect film, but a highly enjoyable one, well directed and performed, and with an impeccable production. You will not believe your eyes when you see the sets, costumes, and the art direction that is shown here. It was almost like time a bittersweet nostalgic ride to a time where people were a little more innocent.