"Jersey Boys," the latest from director Clint Eastwood, knows how to talk the talk, but never necessarily walks the walk. There's a lot of talk about high stakes and risks and the mob (more alluded to, actually), but never throughout the entire film is there a true sense of any risk. It's always hovering over its characters like a dark cloud, teasing at the possibility of heavy rain but all we get is a slight mist.
Perhaps that's not the true point of "Jersey Boys," though. Sure, these guys that would go on to form the rock group the Four Seasons-Frankie Valli, Tommy DeVito, Nick Massi, and Bob Gaudio-had plenty of run-ins with the law, but the film highlights their string of hits more than the sense of risk. The problem with that, however, is that it's a "drama" that lacks real dramatic elements.
Early on in the film DeVito (Vincent Piazza) notes that there's only three ways that anyone ever gets out of Jersey: to paraphrase, they are to join the army and probably get killed, to get tied up in the mob and probably expect the same, or to get famous...and that they did two out of the three. It's expected that some bad things would come about with a line like that, but the biggest obstacle the group has to face is owing a lot of money to guys they presumably don't want to mess with. And this mess is cleaned up rather quickly, with no danger ever really presented.
This isn't to say he film doesn't have it's share of good qualities. While Eastwood may not seem like the obvious answer to direct a "Jersey Boys" film, his style fits the mood and setting rather well and he surprisingly nails the musical numbers. There's even some good old fashioned humor that will extract some laughs. In fact, the film is at its best in its more comical moments. The cast all do well in their respective roles, as well, with John Lloyd Young of the original Broadway cast returning for the film as Valli. Piazza is the stand-out, though, bringing some much needed energy to an otherwise stale story. The problem with these characters is that it's hard to care about them. When something actually tragic does happen to a character, it seems forced and forgotten as soon as it happens.
If there's one thing "Jersey Boys" does well is hold you in anticipation for something to happen. It's a well-intentioned adaptation, but one that doesn't really like to take chances. It speeds through decades of history, always keeping us on our toes for something bigger and better, but what we get is more of the same. These Jersey Boys love to talk the talk, and yes, they do get to walk the walk--can't say the same for the film.
