The Hype: Clint Eastwood comes off two back-to-back flops in Hereafter and J. Edgar with an adaptation of a Tony award-winning musical that'll surely be a shoo-in for a truckload of Oscars, right? The Reality: Who would've thought that, just two months after Jersey Boys hit cinemas, it would be mostly forgotten and nobody would be talking about it, except for in lists such as this? In fairness, Eastwood's effort is far from a bad film, and in fact, it's relatively watchable, but given our expectations for a five-star, rollicking musical, it fell way short, delivering a palatable if also relatively unmemorable screen adaptation. Despite a juicy story revolving around organised crime, Eastwood's take on the rise of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons never aspires to be more than a generically watchable musical, and in lacking the usual Eastwood directorial hallmarks, feels strangely anonymous, even impersonal. The music is great and the performances are rock-solid, but the impression here is that Eastwood had his mind on other things while making it.
Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes).
General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.
