Based on the careers of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
Director: Clint Eastwood
Cast:
Frankie Valli- John Lloyd Young
Tommy DeVito- Vincent Piazza
Nick Massi- Michael Lomenda
Bob Gaudio- Erich Bergen
Bob Crewe- Mike Doyle
Gyp DeCarlo- Christopher Walken
Frankie's first wife, Mary- Reneé Marino
Francine Valli, Frankie's youngest daughter- Grace Kelley (4)/Elizabeth Hunter (7)/Freya Tingley (17)
Write-up:
Introduction... to Jersey Boys and their music
This was one of those Broadway shows I'd heard about from other people. People saying how much they enjoyed it and would recommend. The first I heard of it, I think I was in 10th grade. I'd wanted to see it on hype alone and seeing the movie sold me... but unless it's disappearing completely from Broadway, I'm not in a huge rush about it. We only just went to see "Les Miz" so having a gap between musicals is no big deal.
Hopefully in a couple years, it won't be raining in New York like it has these past couple times...
My familiarity with Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons beforehand was minimal at best. The first time I saw Frankie Valli was his "Full House" cameo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5o5awdfutw
I tell ya, after seeing the movie, had he been 60 years younger... #Swoon
"Oh, What a Night!" was probably the only other song I was familiar with for the longest time... then "Walk like a Man" walked its way into my heart as my favorite song by the group in an underrated RDJ comedy, "Heart & Souls"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvvL3-36kxI
watching this again, I was about to say the Jersey Boys were so much... then RDJ finally came in with a great bass part in the final 30 seconds of footage.
[short synopsis: he has to help four ghosts complete their unfinished business]
Early Casting News
I was especially excited when they announced this movie because Jon Favreau was going to be the director and Dominic Cooper was being considered for one of the roles.
Then later, Clint Eastwood took over the directing, which had me concerned the movie [based on what appears to be a fun show] would be too serious. And the fact I didn't recognize any of the actors that they cast was another cause for concern.
As it turns out, I have nothing to worry about. Sure, I'd miss seeing Dominic Cooper [I bet he would have been cast as Tommy DeVito and killed it], but I wouldn't change any of these casting choices for a second.
It'd be like making substitutions in the core cast of The Breakfast Club... just wouldn't work as well, that chemistry.
"Oh, What a Night!"On our Norweigen Cruise, in addition to "Rock of Ages," they were showing a Four Seasons tribute under this name.
The guys all had great voices and looked great. My one nit-pick was that one of them was blonde and therefore didn't quite fit in. I almost wanted a CD of theirs afterwards... then I remembered that the real thing is way better.
Lots of fun covering all those songs with some LOL moments...
Some Thoughts...
Unlike many other Broadway musicals adapted from a band/group's discography, "Jersey Boys" was actually based on the lives of these guys. Immediately after seeing the movie, my thoughts were how much of it was biographical and how much was Hollywood.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/06/20/jersey_boys_accuracy_fact_checking_clint_eastwood_s_four_seasons_biopic.html
[tread lightly, some spoilers in the movie are attached in this article as well as the rest of this entry... and just for the sake of argument, I will continue forward talking about the movie, not about the actual people it's been upon]
Originally, the group was called The Three Lovers, which apparently was one of a dozen name changes it went through before fate gave them "Four Seasons" [even without reading into it, The Three/Four Lovers is such a STUPID name- no wonder it didn't happen for them for a while].
Frankie's friends, Tommy and Nick DeVito and Nick Massi formed the group and he would occasionally sing lead with them. The DeVito brothers were involved in some shady stuff that gave them lengthy rap sheets, prompting Nick to say the music thing probably wouldn't happen for him, giving Frankie his spot in group permanently.
But with a voice like that, how it affected everyone in the room, it's surprising this conclusion wasn't drawn sooner. Before we even hear that famous falsetto, Frankie drew me in... charisma and raw natural talent.
[Anyone who can make Christopher Walken cry with their voice... that's powerful stuff]
Much of the movie was about how the group came together (Bob Gaudio, who co-wrote almost all the hits, was introduced to them via Joe Pesci- yeah, the actor, albeit a younger version) and skyrocketed to stardom... but had some bumps along the way.
Namely, Tommy DeVito's outrageous debt [Frankie had to have been an ANGEL to forgive him AND pay it himself] and Frankie's rocky personal life with his wife Mary and daughter Francine (the other two daughters, we see briefly and get no lines at all).
The movie did the music justice and the music was used tastefully whenever it was incorporated- whether they were performing them or they were playing the background. A little cheesy, yes, but I loved how they put the first three hits into the movie.
"Sherry" was randomly written by Bob on the way to meeting the guys to call Bob Crewe, their record producer. "Big Girls Don't Cry" was randomly said while the guys were watching a Clint Eastwood movie.
I especially loved the conversation where one of the guys asked what it meant to "walk like a man"... hilarious-- by that point, I was still getting over the fact they included my favorite Four Seasons track in the movie.
More Spoilers...
The only negative I can derive from any point of the movie was when they explained Tommy's debt situation. The guys arrive at the Ed Sullivan show with a debt collector waiting for them backstage. We then proceed to spend 10 minutes of flashbacks... it just gets a little tedious and convoluted after a while, hard to really follow.
But the end result is Frankie taking on the debt, Tommy being shipped off to Vegas [per Gyp's suggestion- he helped mediate this meeting] and Nick finally makes good on his word that he's quitting the group [he says a version of this at least three times throughout the movie].
This is when Frankie starts doing some solo shows.
Another emotional turn happens when Francine, who had been pursuing a similar musical career, dies.
I saw this movie twice within a week because on the premiere night on HBO, I fell asleep around this point [not cuz of boredom, my work schedule]. I woke up within the last 10 minutes plus the credits. My mom mentions something about her dying and I literally gasp "she died?"
Imagine that impact if I'd stayed awake and saw that moment when Frankie got the news transpire...
Major kudos to John Lloyd Young's acting here [there's a reason why he was recruited right from the Broadway show of the same name and it wasn't just his voice]... I felt every emotion he went through. Hearing Bob Gaudio talking to him in the diner, saying how he was so heartbroken by this that it was killing him.. got me right in the heart.
And of course the one song that brings him out of his state was "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You." Bob gave him the sheet music in the diner to look at and hours later, Frankie gives him a call to explain what was missing from the song.
Truly a magical movie moment.
The next scene I was fully conscious for was the final one: when the guys reunite for the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame induction. They perform "Who Loves You" (probably my least favorite of their songs, actually), each break the fourth wall one final time, and the credits roll like a curtain call.
One of my favorite elements of this movie was the 4th wall-breaking. The guys giving us an inside look into what's going on behind the scenes, where their heads were at and such. Those unfamiliar with the show like I was would appreciate that inside information in case something wasn't clear.
Not surprisingly, Frankie doesn't get a chance to do this until the RnR HoF performance... it just makes it all the more special that he didn't address us, the audience, until the near end of the movie.
Then the credits... it starts with (as Frankie explained in his bit) the four guys singing together under the street lamp and they break into "Oh, What a Night." All the actors come out for one final bit of screen time, the guys smile to the camera and perform.
I was fighting back tears both times... the first because I'd missed a big chunk of the movie... the second time, I was very happy to finally see the whole movie, and I was sad to see it end. Ugh, I hope I'm not gonna be like that with musicals from this point.
The only one I hadn't lost it during was "My Fair Lady" (I did plenty of that when our high school did it, though).
It was such a great pay-off moment. Not just to hear this song, but to see everyone one final time.
Code-name: The Wolf
Writer/Director: Quentin Tarantino
Type: Dramedy, R-rated
Cast:
Vincent- John Travolta
Jules- Samuel L. Jackson
Mia Wallace- Uma Thurman
Pumpkin/Ringo- Tim Roth
Honey Bunny/Yolanda- Amanda Plummer
Butch- Bruce Willis
Marcellus- Ving Rhames
Captain Koons- Christopher Walken
Fabienne- Maria de Medeiros
The Wolf- Harvey Keitel
Jimmie- Quentin Tarantino
Notable Awards and Nominations:
OSCAR- Best Original Screenplay- Quentin Tarantino
nomination-OSCAR- Best Picture
nomination-OSCAR- Best Lead Actor- John Travolta
nomination-OSCAR- Best Supporting Actor- Samuel L. Jackson
nomination-OSCAR- Best Supporting Actress- Uma Thurman
nomination-OSCAR- Best Director- Quentin Tarantino
nomination-OSCAR- Best Film Editing
Golden Globe- Best Screenplay- Quentin Tarantino
nomination- Golden Globe- Best Picture- Drama
nomination- Golden Globe- Best Director- Quentin Tarantino
nomination- Golden Globe- Best Actor- Drama- John Travolta
nomination- Golden Globe- Best Supporting Actor- Samuel L. Jackson
nomination- Golden Globe- Best Supporting Actress- Uma Thurman
Write-up:
Introductions
Once upon a time, this was one of those movies I flat-out refused to see for YEARS... all because of a single scene. In Health class (I believe it was 10th grade, my first year at that high school), we were discussing drugs and all that. We saw the one scene where Uma Thurman gets the shot of adrenaline to restart her heart.
...I hate needles. The scene freaked me out and my boycott began...
Then "Inglorious Basterds" came along. (Obviously I loved it or it wouldn't be my previous film on this countdown). I started to "widen my gaze" in 2011, watching all kinds of movies I wouldn't ordinarily look into... I had a lot of favorites from that year (Shawshank, SuckerPunch, and several others that made this list) and this was easily one of them.
My parents sat down and watched it with me and made sure I knew that the film would be out of sequence and a little hard to follow.
Knowing only that, and taking into account that the "adrenaline" scene would be a short one, I was pretty much set for success.
And what a success this wound up being.
The Film Itself
AMPLE SPOILERS AHEAD
Once or twice while watching the film this time around (probably my 3rd time), I was thinking how it feels more like a TV show more than a movie. Each chapter is like a different episode of a series since none of these occurrences feel as if they have anything in common. At least not to the eye of someone who prefers plot-driven films.
This movie is very character-driven, full of colorful personalities. My cast list includes the important names...
plus Christopher Walken, who is simply mentioned because he has one of those characteristic Christopher Walken-type moments. He appears in a flashback where he gives young Butch a watch that belonged to his father.
The movie overall is very trippy, but the details of this watch and how it came back from a POW camp... that's trippy to the nth degree. Only Tarantino could put something like that together.
It's a shame that this movie only earned one award for all its nominations, but the fact Tarantino was honored for his screenplay is a huge victory. It means that this up and coming, new and exciting writer/director made a good impression on a lot of important people.
This is one kick-ass script. The first scene ran a little slow for me until it kicked into action mode. Then as soon as Vincent started going on about what they call a quarter-pounder with cheese in France... I was sold. Most of these characters are gangsters and outlaw-types, so there is action involved, but to delay said action in favor of intelligent conversation, character development and social commentary... that's ballsy and the fact they pull it off effortlessly makes it a worthwhile risk.
I praised "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" for this same reason--as well as several other movies I saw in 2011--but "Pulp Fiction" does one better. The storytelling is tighter, keeps us on our toes so the audience has no choice but to pay attention. Not to hate on the voiceover narration in KKBB (easily one of my favorite parts of it), but "Pulp Fiction" manages this utmost degree of cleverness without that such device.
Easily the trippiest aspect of this film is the fact it's shown out of order. We begin with the scene just before the stand-off finale between Jules, Yolanda and Ringo, where the British couple discuss the notion of robbery.
Interestingly, the first two scenes build up to an active climax and we immediately move onto the next chapter before finding out how things resolve. Real WTF moments that might make newbies scream at their TVs. But rest assured, everything does become clear after a while. We catch up with Yolanda and Ringo in the intense final sequence. Just before that, we see where Jules and Vincent go after regaining possession of Marcellus's suitcase.
If not to dispel the confusion, we stick through the rest of the film because these are some interesting characters. This is Samuel L. Jackson at, probably, his best. The first time a lot of people saw him as the notorious bad-ass everyone knows him to be now. He just has this amazing presence one can't help but respect. He gives us some of the biggest laughs in the movie. Just wait for a single pause or an unexpected raise in volume in his voice-- you know whatever comes out of his mouth is likely to be side-splitting hilarious.
John Travolta's best "chapter" is where he takes Marcellus's wife, Mia, out to show her a good time. He keeps up the commentary-laced dialogue he has with Jules, which is hard not to do, considering where the two of them have dinner. It's a retro 50's diner where the employees are all dressed as famous movie stars and singers from that era.
We get to see him dance for the first time since "Grease" and he gripes about Mia ordering a $5 shake and end ups [literally] swallowing his words.
The Gross-Out Factor
As great as that chapter is, the great chemistry between John Travolta and Uma Thurman (wig or not, I love that look for her), how it ends makes me cringe. And likely will every time I watch the movie, unless of course I get over my thing/phobia about needles and drugs.
Prior to Mia's overdose scene, we see Vincent buy some bad-ass drugs. Stuff that is so strong and powerful that you can only take it by needle. We see him take this needle, there's blood gathering in the syringe... :shudder: I gotta stop before I start seeing spots.
My only other criticism about the overdose scene... c'mon, in real life there is no way Vincent would have had enough time to save her. She'd be dead before getting her into the drug dealer's house.
There's a lot of violence, something to be expected from a Tarantino movie. Something that's a polarizing factor, but in that regard, "Inglorious Basterds" was a million times worse. The two anti-heroes we follow, Vincent and Jules, kill some people. The bloodiest scene happens in the back of their car. Two seconds after I stopped screaming, I was laughing my ass off for five minutes afterwards. Freaking hilarious!
Especially since, if you notice, Vincent's gun was held sideways. Before you can say "That's a kill shot!", we have an unplanned dead body in the backseat.
"The Bonnie Situation" is the name of this chapter. Tarantino has a cameo as Jimmie, a friend of theirs who [involuntary] lends them a place to discard their evidence. He only agrees to this if they clean things up before his wife Bonnie comes home.
So they enlist a figure known as The Wolf. We only see him in this chapter, but he is cool. He contains the situation, keeps it calm and tells everyone what they need to do. The gist is that he doesn't get his hands dirty. Simply tells the guys to clean up the back seat of the car.
...and for whatever reason, Jules gets stuck doing that and stages a protest as soon as he realizes it :P
Probably the weirdest, strangest part of the movie: "The Gold Watch" chapter.
Bruce Willis [amazing in this, by the way, and I'm not just talking about the shape his body is in] plays Butch, a prize fighter paid to throw a fight. Instead, he winds up accidentally killing the guy and needs to plan a clean getaway. His girlfriend, Fabienne [the scene-stealing Portuguese beauty Maria de Medeiros] forgot to pack the watch so he needs to go back to his apartment to get it. On the way back, he and Marcellus unexpectedly bump into each other and somehow pick the worst possible [in]convenience store to do fisticuffs.
Everything else in this movie, to me, is a cakewalk compared to the overdose-shot-of-adrenaline scene... but I imagine this sequence is what turned a lot of people off about this movie. For whatever reason, we turned this on [maybe a couple weeks after I first saw this] at my grandma's place and she and my sister accidentally ended up witnessing the infamous "basement" scene.
If there's one thing to know about Tarantino. you know nothing good can come out of a basement scene. At least that's my belief after seeing "Inglorious Basterds." There are subtle hints of S&M and a not-so-subtle rape scene initiated by Zed and the other dude who runs the store.
Thankfully, it's short-lived, Bruce Willis comes out being a hero and the sickos will get what's coming to them.
Final Comments
While I personally find "Inglorious Basterds" the more engaging film, "Pulp Fiction" wins out because it succeeds as a well-constructed whole. Granted, it's not a linear whole, but still very well done. To that effect, it might not have worked as well or gained this much attention if it had been shown in chronological order.
It's one of those quotable films I love, but certain quotes stuck with me that others might not immediately got. Aside from the "Royale with Cheese" and "$5 shake" dialogue, one quote I came away remembering:
Fabienne saying "any time of day is good for pie"
... don't know why, it just stuck with me. That and her talking about how she'd like to have a sexy pot-belly. It must be the accent.
Most people remember Jules's made-up version of Ezekiel 25:17.
My favorite quote of "The Bonnie Situation".
Jules to Vincent- "We just witnessed a miracle and I want you to acknowledge it!"
