Jersey Boys

DISCLAIMER: This blog is not for profit. All images and footage used are property of their respective companies unless stated otherwise. I do not claim ownership of this material.

Based on the wildly popular stage musical, ‘Jersey Boys’ is the story of 1960s rock ‘n roll band Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, from their humble beginnings in New Jersey to their eventual break up and its aftermath.

Jersey Boys is a classic ‘rags to riches’ story that is perfectly suited to both stage and screen, which also incorporates the music of the band into its story fantastically- it is these musical numbers that contrast with the high tensions of much of the plot and make the film as good as it is. It is also refreshing to see a movie musical that attempts to tell a real story in a realistic manner and this is also helped by the darkened look of the shots. It is unclear whether it has been graded or whether it was even intentional, but it looks fantastic and suits the film’s dramatic tone and atmosphere perfectly. Another unusual but effective element is the narration, which features each member of the band breaking the fourth wall to tell their side of the story. In most other movies, this would seem cheesy or outright ridiculous, but here it really works, as it gives the audience a personal insight into the story that could not be gained any other way.

However, if I have to nit-pick , I do wish that more music had been incorporated into the film in terms of score- there are certain scenes with no score at all and whilst this does add to the whole ‘serious drama’ thing that the film tries so hard to maintain, it does make it feel lifeless to a certain extent. In short, many scenes have no background music and as a result it is lacking in major energy.

However, this does not stop it from being a refreshingly serious movie musical with great songs and an excellent cast that it well worth a watch. 

The Hunger Games : Mockingjay Part One

DISCLAIMER: This blog is not for profit. All images and footage used are property of their respective companies unless stated otherwise. I do not claim ownership of this material.

As most readers probably know, The Hunger Games : Mockingjay is the third hotly- anticipated adaptation of Suzanne Collin’s Hunger Games books, which this time sees Katniss become the (fairly unwilling) face of the rebellion against the autocratic Capitol.

It is not an exaggeration to say that many fans were extremely disappointed by the third book in the series- however, I am pleased to report that the film improves on the underwhelming final novel massivley. For once, the trend of splitting the grand finale of a big franchise into two parts actually benefits the film significantly, as it allows every previously rushed moment to be shown in just the right amount of detail. This is also helped by fantastic acting from a cast that includes Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence, as well as Donald Sutherland, Josh Hutcherson, the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman and newcomer Julliane Moore. Along with wonderful cinematography, this makes the already powerful moments that allow the Hunger Games series to be as effective as it is even stronger.

Additionally, the powerful and often complex messages of the original series are continually emphasized throughout the film, which allows it to be very moving at times. Like it’s predecessor, Catching Fire, Mockingjay also has great cinematography, with the well chosen shots bringing the book to life fantasically well.

On the other hand, it does inherit the problems of it’s source material in terms of story structure. It doesn’t have much action, or even too much of a structure, with Tordov’s narrative theory barley being used- much of it is Katniss wandering around feeling depressed about Peeta and filming propos, which some viewers might find slightly dull. However, the jump from book to film means that the story can now be told from more than one person’s perspective, meaning that more can be shown and as a result more happens (compared to the book anyway).

Generally, The Hunger Games : Mockingjay Part One is a moving, tense and dramatic film that is probably worth a second or even a third viewing. It is rare to say this about a Young Adult Adaptation, but it is better than the book by miles.