Review of Jersey Boys (2014) by Allen S — 09 Oct 2014

My Thoughts:

Going into this screening, I had very little knowledge of The Four Seasons; yes, I knew of their music and enjoy some of their songs greatly, but I didn't know their story or their history. Jersey Boys gives us that peak behind the curtain of what really goes on behind the scenes when the group is off stage and just being themselves.

Jersey Boys takes us back to a time when things were simpler. Like they say in the movie, you only had three choices in getting out of the neighborhood: join the army, join the mob, or become famous. The last because at this time, there were actually talented people coming out of Jersey unlike today, where we get Jersey Shore. In Jersey Boys, we see the struggle of Frankie Valli (John Lloyd Young), Tommy DeVito (Vincent Piazza), and Nick DeVito (Johnny Cannizzaro) as they deal with the mob as well as trying to get a record deal for their group.

We also follow the Boys as they bring on the fourth member, Bob Gaudio (Erich Bergen), that will help propel them into the stardom that most of us know them for. We see them rise to fame and all the problems that come with that such as money, trust, and relationship issues as well as just dealing with being successful.

Throughout the movie, they do treat us to some of their great classics such as Sherry, Big Girls Don't Cry, Walk Like a Man, and a few others. There are also some great comedic moments mixed in there as well.

My Recommendation:

Even though Jersey Boys is a good movie, I have to suggest to wait for it to come out on DVD. Even though it tells the life story of The Four Seasons-and of course the music is great-it does get a little slow in places; and in a summer season where there are some great movies out there, this is maybe a third choice if you are trying to see something this summer. Of course, if you are a big Four Season fan or a fan of the musical, check it out to see if they do them justice.