Bravo! Eastwood!

Rating: 9/10 (20 November 2014)

First of all, this is not a musical. It is a movie about a band. The distinction is important in that you wouldn't want to scare away people who don't like musicals. I am one of them and also not a fan of Four Seasons. I watched it because of Eastwood's track record and wasn't disappointed. A magnificently directed movie with great acting and, yes, delightful music. Watching them perform in the context of the story made me appreciate the music. I even enjoyed "oh, what a night" which I hated back in the Disco era. The choices Eastwood made were great including the audience asides made by some of the actors. I don't know how accurate the screenplay was but it made for a very entertaining and touching story. It also shed light on the true genius of the band, Bob Gaudio, who wrote most of their hits. The only poor choice was the makeup crew as the actors never aged over the years until they reunited in 1990. Then, they all looked like a can of talcum powder blew up in their faces. Picky, picky, I know, but it was a great film.