Whiplash review

Damien Chazelle's sophomore effort Whiplash is by far one of the most stressful and uncomfortable films I've ever seen. The easiest comparison to make is that it's Full Metal Jacket in the world of Jazz musicians but the film is truly its own unique film. While Full Metal Jacket allows the audience to laugh at Gunnery Sergeant Hartman as he hurls hilarious insults at his military recruits, Whiplash creates unease as insults are hurled at our main protagonist. It's also one of the best films of the year, succeeding on basically all fronts with its exceptional acting, directing, editing, and music.

Whiplash stars Miles Teller as Andrew Neiman, a 19 year old Jazz drummer who aspires to be "one of the greats" and attends Shaffer, a prestigious music college in New York City. He finds himself under the "mentorship" of Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), the conductor of Shaffer's Jazz Orchestra. However, this is no ordinary music school as Fletcher has no issue with manipulating and abusing his students which he justifies as pushing them beyond their limits.

Miles Teller in Whiplash

The performances are basically driven by Teller and Simmons as all of the other characters basically serve only as foils. Teller appears in nearly every frame and absolutely delivers, proving he can play far more than just confident frat-boys. The physical acting is especially impressive as Teller allows his stress and anxiety to translate to the audience. While it has been a strong year for leading actors, it's too bad that Miles Teller didn't get more Oscar buzz.

J.K. Simmons in Whiplash

J.K. Simmons can be easily compared to R. Lee Ermey's performance in Full Metal Jacket, except it's better. It was a legitimately frightening performance filled with rage that never felt over the top. But the best scenes might be the scenes where he puts on a friendly persona, making his true colors all the more confusing to the audience and allows him to be more than just an angry caricature.

Perhaps Whiplash simply resonated with me so much because I can relate to Neiman, at least in some ways. I'm no Jazz musician, but I am a 19 year old College freshman who likes to dream big and would love to be "one of the greats". The film definitely caused me to examine my own situation and wonder what it would take and if it would be worth it.

That's why Whiplash is such a compelling film. It's far more complex than just a story about a kid who wants to be a Jazz drummer and practices a lot. It asks thought provoking questions like "How far is too far?" and "At what cost is being one of the greats?" Fletcher dishes out more than just tough love as he has no problem with hurling not only insults at his students' music abilities but uncomfortably personal territory about the students themselves. In Fletcher's mind, there are no limits, but is that really true?

The ending feels a bit abrupt and certainly left me yearning for me but that just goes to show how I was never bored for even a second while watching this film. Whiplash is a film with intensity that never lets up from the first yelling scene. It's by far one of the most immersive films I've ever seen. It's the kind of film that makes your heart beat faster. It's easily one of the best films of the year and I can't wait to see what Damien Chazelle brings us next.

5/5

By Alex Bauman