Jersey Boys

3.5 Stars (out of four)

So, full disclosure.  I have never seen the stage play or read the book Jersey Boys is adapted.  So I wasn't sure what exactly to expect.  I had heard a lot of good things, but had heard that the movie was disappointing.  I also thought the play was a musical, and it is to an extent, but it is really just the music of The Four Seasons at various performances and the story is not really told through song.

So, those of you who don't know, Jersey Boys is a biopic of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, the group responsible for a lot of big hits in the 60's and 70's including: Walk Like A Man, .  Specifically, it focuses on mostly the troubles of the group.  Everything about the movie was delightful, all the performances were first-rate.  The only problem I had with the movie was that if you are familiar with VH1's Behind The Music specials, you have seen this story over and over and over again.  Group of talented people people get together, start singing and struggle until they find their rhythm, get their first big hits, ride the high wave of success, only to come crashing down in the end.  So, as far as story goes, it was a little predictable.

But what I really liked about the film was the storytelling device. Specifically, all four members would break the fourth wall at times to explain internal motivations, whether personally or collectively.  Therefore, it had a fairly intimate feeling, as if you are being told the story by an old pal rather than omnisciently watching events and drawing your own conclusions. Like a book, it gives you access to inner monologues and thoughts, and therefore a richer story.  It gives you more context and thus, a richer story.  This is an entertaining storytelling device to me, but it can be badly used.  This movie gets it just right.  Add on top of that that the movie is being narrated from several points of view, where characters will even correct previous stories so the re ord is set straight (at least for them).  This multiple-perspective storytelling is also powerful because, going all the way back to Citizen Kane, the same story or character is vastly different depending on who does the telling.  Like the tagline says, "Everybody remembers it how they need to."  The final denoument where each character sums up their final thoughts is great.

A humorous personal side for me was how much rock music has changed (in my opinion, for the better, but no judgement), but how little the situations change in show business. It seems outside of Weird Al Yankovich, every performer who has ever played in front of an audience has had a lot of drama in their lives.  I guess the more things change, the more they stay the same.