Jersey Boys (2014)

I was born in 1964 so I wanted to see the costumes, hair, make up and set the most. My daughter is a musical theater kid, so the fact that it was based on the musical production I have yet to see was an added bonus. I did not expect too much, maybe a little drama from the clips I had seen. Probably sex, drugs, violence and swearing.

Boy was I in for a surprise. I absolutely LOVED every minute of "Jersey Boys" I laughed and cried and was in awe with the sets, makeup, costumes, hair and the characters chosen. The music brought me back to my youth and so many memories from early life and my surroundings then. The sound was exceptional.

And guess what NO explicit SEX, no drugs except alcohol. There was very little violence and only a few F bombs. How refreshing! Imagine that! So much talent I did not even realize all that is missing until I thought about it later. I only realized the movie runs a little long after it was over.

The audience LOVED it. Not once (finally) did I feel a strong urge to shout "SHUT UP" to my co-movie goers because they were all too busy watching the movie and enjoying it. Young and older generations alike!

Never before have I watched a movie that skipped over time so flawlessly that your imagination was all that was needed to fill the gaps. Brilliant.

I am not a movie buff, I only go a hand full of times a year maybe. There was not one thing I did not like about this movie. Not one. I could see owning this and seeing it many times over!

See Jersey Boys!

Fmovies: I fell in love several times to most of these beautifully written songs with Lyrics that spell out the trysts of our times in the 70's. 'Who loves you pretty Baby' was one of my all time favs and when I heard the music again I fell in love with love all over again.

It's really cool how great music affects your heart and soul as though it transports our vivid memories right back into our body's cells. I felt the same type of excitement as I did when I first heard it...and first got laid to0 it.

Passion is passion is passion, and most of these songs were my anthems with my lovers. When I heard "My Eyes Adored You," I just sat there and quietly wept, thinking of the one I let get away...I wish I could say it to his face.

In a theater packed with more people than I've seen attending a matinée in a long, long time, it would seem that each and every person in there enjoyed a toe-tapping, finger-snapping, head-bobbing, 'I-want-to-sing- along' experience during this dance down memory lane. And it wasn't only those who were there when all of this came down, but those too young to have been a part of that scene were having a great time. The casting and directing could not be more excellent than they are for this movie. And it isn't only the music, which is marvelous, but the look into the relationships of the people involved in this moment in time that is fascinating. A peek into their history, their character, the way their lives played out - this is a well put together film When a picture ends with people applauding, you know you've just seen a winner. When you walk out and hear folks saying, "I'm sure going to have to buy this when it comes out.", you really can appreciate the fact that you weren't the only one in there having a fun time. There are only a few directors whose films you know you can always count on for quality – Eastwood has most certainly proved he's one.

Jersey Boys fmovies. It was not my call to see this movie but so glad I went along for the ride! It has at least a little something for everyone and a LOT for Frankie Valli fans. Granted, the narration is a little distracting at first, but you quickly get so into the story and the characters; the good times and the bad, that you adapt to it quickly. I thought I was tired of their music but I couldn't get enough of it. After several of the songs, the entire audience clapped as though we were at the performance portrayed in the movie. Eastwood knows what moves us, what makes us laugh and how to get us on our feet. He delivers it all big time. Seriously, what more do you want from a movie?

There's a reason why the 1960s is widely known as the "Golden Era" of music, specifically, the birth of what is now called Rock n Roll. Comprising of four British teenagers from Liverpool, The Beatles produced their first album (Please Please Me) in 1963 and went on to be regarded as the greatest rock and roll band of all time. But just a year earlier, in 1962, four boys from New Jersey made heads turn and girls swoon with a unique 'sound' to their music. Jersey Boys is the phenomenal true story of a 'sound' that took four boys from New Jersey's mob controlled suburbs and made them into the icons they are today – legends whose music is still celebrated more than five decades on!

Produced and directed by another living legend – Clint Eastwood – Jersey Boys is a Tony Award winning Broadway and West End musical adaptation of the same name. Scripted by Woody Allen's Oscar winning collaborate Marshall Brickman (Anne Hall and Manhattan), the story benefits from a deeply dramatized account of the stage production, thus making it a biopic rather than just a musical. This is why the audience has to wait a good hour before Frankie Valli (John Lloyd Young) makes our feet tap to the film's first real track: Sherry. But before we get to hear Young's remarkable rendition of Valli's incredible falsetto pitch, Brickman's story takes us through New Jersey's underworld circa. Valli is a good Italian-American kid but his friend Tommy DeVito (Vincent Piazza) is just the opposite. They are both connected to local mobster Gyp DeCarlo (Christopher Walken). Taking Valli under his wing, Tommy puts together a small time band but only manages mediocre returns while also moonlighting as juvenile delinquents. This changes with the arrival of Bob Gaudio (Erich Bergen), a golden goose of a singer- song writer whose epiphany changes the band's name from The Four Lovers to The Four Seasons. Then, with the addition of bass guitarist and singer Nick Massi (Michael Lomenda), Sherry, their first song as a band, becomes a hit and the group is instantly catapulted into nationwide fame.

By the time we get to the band's all-time number one hit single, Can't Take My Eyes Off You, there's trouble brewing. Domestic heartbreak and tragedy, ego trips and quarrels, financial crises and mob intervention turns cracks into fissures. Reminding us that this is in fact a stage show adaptation, Eastwood creates individual perceptions by allowing each member of the band to narrate his story directly to the camera. While this might seem like a theatre-cinema blending technique (ala Moulin Rouge!), it adds wholesome dimensions as a biography made for the discerning cinema audience. Adding on to that dimension is the juxtaposition of organized crime with the evolution of Doo-wop into rock and pop. In fact, there is a brief reference to Frank Sinatra, who as legendary as himself, was known to have ties with Chicago's notorious mobster Al Capone. To this effect, the story also includes real life actor Joe Pesci (Joey Russo) as a talent scout who recommends Bob to the band. Synonymous with mobster roles in previous films, Walken himself might seem like a cliché, but instead is entrusted with the film's humour and he delivers. Characterization from the rest leaves more to be desired. Young as front man Valli and Piazza as Tommy are more theatrical than expected in a film. It's a different matter when we get to see them perform as musicians – simply astonishing!

That there is

Going into the movie I knew and liked the Four Season's music, but was unsure if I would like the movie (it would not have been my first or second pick to go see). However, I was able to see an early viewing of the film and took advantage of it. I must say I LOVED it. It had all of the songs I loved. The film has the right amount of humor when needed. I have not seen the Broadway show version. If you like their music it is worth going just for that as it is a mix of recordings from the Four Seasons and also recordings from the cast. While it is rated R for language, I did not find it excessive. Erich Bergen's performance stood out for me.

I have never seen a Clint Eastwood film that he has been either a producer or director. I was wary about seeing the film, but must admit that I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would Recommend this film