Whiplash (2014)Starring: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Paul Reiser
Directed by: Damien Chazelle
Plot Summary: Andrew Neiman is a young jazz student at the Shaffer Conservatory in New York. His dream is to be one of the greatest jazz drummers in history and wants to impress famed conductor Terence Fletcher. When Fletcher recruits Andrew to be an alternate drummer in his studio band, Andrew quickly learns that Fletcher's teaching methods are highly abusive. Andrew gets a chance to play for Fletcher's band at a jazz competition and eventually becomes a core drummer. However, Andrew discovers that his spot in the band is not a guarantee, and if another musician can wow Fletcher, his dreams of being one of the greats could be gone. To ensure his place in music history, Andrew will go to desperate measures, including alienating himself from all the people around him and practicing until he bleeds. Will Andrew's extreme efforts lead to him being the greatest musician of his generation, or will Fletcher's abuse break Andrew to the point of giving up his dream?
Never in a million years did I think my favorite film of the year would be about jazz drumming, but here we are. I was absolutely surprised by how much I LOVED Whiplash when I first saw it. I still had the buzz from Birdman in my mind, and had seen a handful of other Best Picture nominees, but after seeing Whiplash, that's all my mind could focus on. The film was originally supposed to be a feature film, but could not get the funding for it. It was then turned into a short film, which wowed audiences at Sundance, so it was then turned into a feature film as planned. Filmed in 19 days, on a budget of $3.3 million, and consider one of the lowest grossing films to ever receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture, it was the little movie that could this year at the Oscars, walking away with 3 wins. Yet it did not walk away with Best Picture. After comparing the two films in my mind for the last 6 months, I can finally make my (controversial?) claim: I believe Whiplash was the better film. Again, the two films are utter perfection for me, and are like comparing apples and oranges, but if I went with an absolute favorite between the two, it would be Whiplash, which has yet to leave my mind since I first saw it.
The main protagonist is Andrew Neiman, played by Miles Teller. Teller brings a great level of charisma and intensity to the role, as he embodies someone who is willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill their dreams. His journey takes him to extremes that not many would go through however. Thanks to his determination, Andrew actually sacrifices two very important relationships. He distances himself from his father, played by Paul Reiser, and his girlfriend Nicole, played by Melissa Benoist. Both relationships would be important in anyone's lives because they are the support system that people would appreciate having around. Andrew, however, finds them to be distractions and the more he stays by himself, the closer he feels to being one of the greats. It's that fine line between arrogance and confidence that he is constantly traveling on throughout the film, but you can always see why and how he arrived at those points. His morals may be questioned, but his motives are never in doubt. He knows where he wants to be in life, and it's actually kind of admirable. Demented at times, but admirable all the same.
J.K. Simmons plays the loud and controversial music instructor Terence Fletcher. What is there that I can possibly say about Simmons in this role that hasn't already been said? He's won over 20 awards, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The metaphors are all there: he's an R-Rated version of Mr. Miyagi, he takes his role of J. Jonah Jameson and cranks it up to an 11, I could go on and on. Trust me, his performance steals the show, and once you've seen it, you won't be forgetting it any time soon. Heck, I think he taught me some curse words and insults that I didn't even know existed. You could make a compilation video of great movie insults based entirely off Fletcher's lines from Whiplash. This is one of the most memorable and compelling characters in modern cinema for good reason, because Simmons commanded the role and earned every ounce of respect and acclaim that he has received.It goes without saying that a movie about music should have good music in order for it to be taken seriously, and thankfully Whiplash takes full use of that. I've never considered myself the biggest fan of jazz, but I'll give credit where it's due and say the music is so smooth and crisp that it's hard not to enjoy it. It's a perfect metaphor for the amount of precision and perfection that Fletcher wants in the music his band creates. The sound mixing is also an important aspect of the film, because it's more than just the sound created through the music that has an impact on the ears. For example, if your scene is taking place in a movie theater, then you should hear sounds that make you feel like you're in a movie theater. If you're filming a scene where a character is filling a sink with ice, you want it to sound authentic. Scenes like this are what really help get the movie over as something truly special for the ears.
The technical aspect I love most about Whiplash is its quick editing. With an intimate plot and short runtime, the editing is very fast and very cohesive to get the film moving. Partnered with the music and sound mixing, the quick cuts help paint a work of art. Every shot feels like it's there for a reason, and when it comes to filmmaking, that demonstrates the amount of genuine effort that the filmmakers put into making this. The film definitely deserved the Academy Awards for Best Sound Mixing and Best Editing, because when you put them together, you have movie magic.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
This film is one that a moviegoer like myself is constantly craving. Whiplash is very intimately done, tightly edited, and focuses on 2 major characters. But it's those small things that are done so well, that makes it feel 10 times bigger in scope and a film that will forever be a favorite of mine. Moviegoers should add this one to their collection immediately. What are you still sitting around for? Go get it NOW!
Whiplash and movie images are copyrighted by Sony Pictures Classics
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