What Happened to Clint Eastwood?

Having seen just about everything I wanted to currently in theatres, I sat around this morning pondering a topic for discussion. Then, I got to thinking about my most recent trip to the movies and how disappointed I was in Clint Eastwood's Jersey Boys. I began wondering to myself, what happened to Clint Eastwood? Trapped in a five-year lull, the once heralded actor/director has simply lost his edge.

I wasn't an outspoken fan of Eastwood's 2009 effort, Invictus, but I enjoyed the film enough to chalk it up in the "win" column. However, since that slightly above average feature five years ago, he's directed a trio of forgettable pieces of work that began with 2010's ambitious search for the answers to the after-life, Hereafter. While the title attempted to raise purposeful discussion surrounding the "meaning of life", Eastwood's slow-moving flick instead induced yawns and became an instant cure for insomnia.

Then, all everyone talked about the following year was Eastwood's wildly anticipated biopic, J. Edgar. It was suppose to manhandle the awards season and deliver Leonardo DiCaprio his first much-deserved Oscar win. Yet, the lifeless account of the highly controversial head of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover, immediately fell out of contention after its opening weekend. As a result, Leo still remains winless in his pursuit and J. Edgar marked another step in the wrong direction for Eastwood.

After a three year hiatus from the director's chair and a cheap PG-13 Gran Torino imitation in the mediocre baseball drama Trouble With the Curve, the filmmaker returned with Jersey Boys. A fantastic Broadway musical crumbled under the care of Eastwood as his career continued on a steep downward spiral. And where does that leave the legend of Hollywood? No longer is the visionary behind hits such as Gran Torino, Million Dollar Baby and Unforgiven (just to name a few) a shoe-in for the Academy Awards.

Everyone's time comes to an end. We may be caught in the middle of Eastwood's unspectacular third act to his illustrious career. As a lifelong fan of the macho actor's brilliant work, it's saddening to witness such a brutal display of normality. Who doesn't root for onscreen heroes and star athletes to walk off into the sunset still at the top of their game? Unfortunately, for Eastwood, that ship may have sailed.

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Fury and The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby Trailers

This week premiered the trailers for two potential Oscar contenders. The first one is David Ayer's (End of Watch) World War II army drama Fury. Brad Pitt stars as Wardaddy, the commander of a five man tanking crew forced to fend off the German army in the latter stages of the war. Fury finds its ways to theatres in November, the heart of awards season.





The second possible Oscar contender is Ned Benson's The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, a two-part movie spliced together into one feature film. Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy star in this drama about a couple attempting to reclaim past love. Finding its way to select theatres in September, be sure to catch the trailer for The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby.

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Rapid Reviews: 22 Jump Street and Jersey Boys

Last week I unveiled friend and guest writer Greg Rouleau's opinion on 22 Jump Street. He gave a ringing endorsement for co-directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller's return to the franchise. Since my recent wedding and honeymoon have delayed my movie-watching schedule, I spent the last 24 hours catching up on a few major titles. And unlike Greg, I found 22 Jump Street to be a misguided follow-up to its successful first installment.

While I enjoyed the feature's plot lines regarding Jenko's new BFF "Zook" and the back-story regarding Schmidt's latest love interest, 22 Jump Street is an otherwise laugh-less and self mocking farce. Channing Tatum's dimwitted character generated memorable bone-headed laughs in the last movie, however, his idiocy reaches annoying heights with massive frequency. Furthermore, as for the latest effort's fascination with addressing the makings of a franchise, the straightforward manor in which the directors broach this topic is tasteless and ineffective.

As a fan of its predecessor, 22 Jump Street unfolded in disappointing fashion. What was clearly one of 2014's most anticipated features ends up being just another flat and hollow sequel. There are plenty of other options worth checking out in theatres, I suggest choosing them.


Stars: 2 stars out of 4

Grade: C+

Another film recently reviewed by Greg Rouleau was Clint Eastwood's Jersey Boys. While he tabbed the Broadway musical turned a major motion picture as a hard-fought "B-", I found it a little less amusing. Perhaps my admiration for the musical is what spawns an elevated level of disappointment. Fans of the show are guaranteed to be let down by Eastwood's stamp on the story.

With outstretched first and third acts that incorporate a minimal amount of musical performances from The Four Seasons, Eastwood lets it be known that he's making a film. Unlike Tom Hooper's Oscar Nominated Les Miserables and other modern musical adaptations that operate closely to their originals, Jersey Boys picks and chooses its similarities with the Broadway show. Therefore, the overbearing background which consumes the feature's first hour and creates an excruciating opening portion. Once The Four Seasons finally get into the swing of things and the on-stage performances remind us of everything we loved about the musical, it's too late to salvage.

I was disappointed in much of the acting, especially from newbies John Lloyd Young (as Frankie Valli) and Erich Bergen (as Bob Gaudio). It's always a risky decision to cast unknowns in vital roles and, unfortunately for Eastwood, the choice proves to be detrimental to the final product. Fans of the musical should be warned that, with Jersey Boys, an unsatisfying experience lies ahead.


Stars: 2 stars out of 4

Grade: C

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NEW) and Felony Trailers

Growing up in the 90s the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live-action franchise holds a special place in my heart. This summer Jonathan Liebesman attempts to restore past glory with the highly anticipated reboot starring Megan Fox as April O'Neil. As expect, the lovable quartet of overgrown turtles match martial art skills with the evil Foot Clan led by their nemesis, Shredder. Arriving in theatres everywhere on August 8th, check out the latest and most in-depth trailer yet for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.





I've always been a fan of Australian cinema and another intriguing title from the continent, Felony, may find its way over to the states this fall. Warrior's Joel Edgerton stars as a police officer who dozes off at the wheel and regrettably strikes a young boy who remains comatose. He calls for help and with the assistance of his police force led by the superior officer (Tom Wilkinson), they attempt to cover up the truth. Felony's first trailer gives an inside look into the suspense drama, so make sure you check it out.

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Jersey Boys

Film: Jersey Boys

Starring: John Lloyd Young and Erich Bergen

Director: Clint Eastwood (Million Dollar Baby)

U.S. Release: June 20th, 2014 (Rated R)

Genre: Musical

Runtime: 134 minutes


*** Featuring a guest review by Reel True owner Greg Rouleau


A quick glance at the directorial resumé of Clint Eastwood shows the Hollywood legend making an attempt to tackle a diversity of projects in his latter years.   While not all of them have been home runs, including a couple whiffs such as Hereafter and J. Edgar, Clint has continuously displayed an adept ability behind the camera.  Always working with top talent, and pulling out consistently strong performances, Eastwood seemed poised for a challenge.  In Jersey Boys, the big-screen adaptation of the Broadway play, the director cast relative unknowns for the key roles of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.   With a somber look at the trials and tribulations of the famed group, the film offers just enough for hardcore fans to enjoy, but the end result doesn’t quite reach the heights of Eastwood’s best projects.

With a 134-minute running time that overstays its welcome by about 20-minutes, Jersey Boys feels like West Side Story meets Goodfellas as the story begins.  A group of young singers, who make regular trips to local jail and have connections with organized crime, are trying to get their music act off the ground.  The connections are mostly through Tommy DeVito, played by Vincent Piazza of Boardwalk Empire.  Piazza, arguably the most recognizable face of the group, exudes plenty of machismo for the smooth-talking Tommy.  Frankie Castelluccio (John Lloyd Young) has a voice that makes the girls swoon.  The trio, is completed by Nick Massi (Michael Lomenda), but the group doesn’t see much success until songwriter Bob Gaudio (Erich Bergen) joins and lands them a deal recording with producer, Bob Crewe, as Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.  

Like most of Eastwood’s latest efforts, there’s a sullen tone throughout the film.  While there is inevitably some darkness behind the fame and glory of any major music act, it can be argued that a movie like this would’ve been aided by a little more optimism and energy.  Seeing the stories behind the popular songs of the Four Seasons is a treat, but the amount of time the audience is able to revel in the glory of the group’s success is brief, as major issues continue to plague its members.  There’s also the issue of Eastwood’s style, most notably his continued use of the desaturated color pallette that he’s seemed to favor since his 2006 war-epic, Flags of Our Fathers.  Perhaps suitable to a film of that bleak nature, Jersey Boys would’ve benefitted from a little pop of color.  

Despite the unknown talent, Clint still manages to pull great performances out of the entire cast.  There’s also a nice chemistry between the four main actors, who recorded their songs live, according to the director, and each one also gets a turn with their fourth-wall breaking narration.  Piazza shines early on where he is mostly the focus, and there are some great turns by Christopher Walken as Gyp DeCarlo and Mike Doyle as Bob Crewe.  Even Renee Marino as Frankie’s first wife, Mary Delgado, shines in a few key scenes, despite having a character that is completely under-developed.  By the time the credits role, there’s a sense of satisfaction with the story told, but there’s also a feeling that we've been robbed of a more enjoyable movie experience.   

Stars: 2 and a half stars out of 4

Grade: B-

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