Whiplash Review

     The things that a person will go through to obtain perfection are astounding. They will push their mind, body, and soul to the absolute limits to be the best they can be. Throughout my life I have known many people like this, people who will push everything to the side except a single facet of their life. One of my very good friends in high school shut himself out from the rest of the world so he could study and have the best grades possible. Since he graduated in the top 20 of our class I guess you could say it worked, but at what cost. He alienated himself from his friends and completely missed out on his senior year. So was it really worth it. "Whiplash" premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival where it won both the Grand Jury and the Audience Award, a feat rarely done. This movie explores that search for perfection and what it can do for a person, and the journey it takes us on is one of the best of the year.

     Andrew Neyman is an extraordinarily talented young drummer who has hopes to be one of the best of all time. He attends one of the best and most competitive music schools in the country but is afraid he doesn't stand out. While practicing one day he is met by Terrence Fletcher, the teacher of the school's most prestigious band. After taking an interest in him, he decides to invite Andrew to join his band. Excited at first, Andrew soon discovers that Terence is a sadistic perfectionist who will verbally and physically abuse his students. While apprehensive if this is right for him, Andrew is determined to be the best and sticks it out. Practicing until his hands bleed, Andrew only improves; but he soon discovers that it will never be enough for Terence. 

     "Whiplash" is only the third film of director Damien Chazelle, and it is unquestionable that it will take him to new heights. For such a young director this is a very impressive outing, and it shows great promise for him in the future; he might be looking at a best director nomination. While this movie does almost everything right, what takes it to the next level would be the acting of Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons. I first saw Teller in the 2013 independent film ""The Spectacular Now," in which he immediately showed promise. He's most known for playing parts where he's quick witted and sarcastic, but in this movie he shows serious acting chops. It's also worth mentioning that he actually played the drums in this movie. Often where you see an actor play a musician, the music is added in later; but Teller really plays the drums, and he's damn good. Starring opposite of Teller would be J.K. Simmons, who gives what might be the best performance of his career. He's a commanding figure that always draws attention to himself. Imagine if a really mean drill sergeant decided to become a music teacher. What really helps these two is that their characters are so great; Teller's character is driven and hopeful while Simmons’s is a task master who does want his students succeed and will push them to their breaking point. In some ways they are polar opposites, but in others they are surprisingly similar. The film also features great cinematography and editing. The movie it is shot makes it feel alive; there are lots of cuts (especially during music scenes) that emphasizes what is going on and keeps it fast paced. And speaking of the music scenes, this movie has one of the best scores of the year. The jazz influenced band music is great and memorable; I really hope that it is at least nominated for best original score. It's also worth noting that the movie features one of the best adapted screenplays of the year. The movie does suffer from one drawback though, romance. The movie attempts a romance between Teller's character and a young woman towards the begging of the movie, but never really goes anywhere; it is short lived and ends abruptly. In all honestly it could have been cut from the film altogether, it plays such a minor part and doesn't add anything. Overall, this is an incredible movie and an impressive outing from such a new director. Worth all the acclaim that it has received, I really hope that it gets a much wider release. Exhilarating from start to finish, it is one of the best movies of the year.

Pros: Great performances by Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons, one of the best soundtracks of the year, great video editing and cinematography, interesting lead characters, well written screenplay, wonderful directing from Damien Chazelle. 

Cons: Romance feels tacked on and unnecessary.

4.5/5 Stars