Director: Damien Chazelle

Starring: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons & Paul Reiser

Running Time: 107 mins

Release date: 15 Oct, 2014

Worldwide Gross: $401,475

 

 

 

 

Basic Plot:

 

Whiplash opens with Miles Teller’s Andrew practicing the drums.  The camera spies from down the hall and soon we realize he’s being watched by Fletcher, played menacingly by J.K. Simmons, the conductor of The Studio Band - the top jazz ensemble at the best music conservatory in the country - according to the characters.  Fletcher senses Andrew’s potential and eventually invites him to sit in with his band to see if he’d be a good fit for the “core player” status that we see musicians fighting for throughout the film.  As rehearsals begin, Andrew is met with Fletcher’s drill instructor style of conducting and is pushed to his literal bloody, sweaty, and tear-filled limits trying to achieve his life long goal – being “One of the Greats”, in the realms of his heroes Buddy Rich and Charlie Parker.  As Andrew shuts out everyone and everything in his life that gets in the way of his playing, he slips further into anger, depression, rage, and egotism.  

 

Clock Watching? 20/20

 

The score for this movie is fantastic.  Drums and upright bass alone provide almost all of the incidental music, keeping the pulse of the movie and the audience high throughout.  Due to the driving nature of the music, the fascinating story, and the superb acting, I never once wondered when this film would end.  In fact, I could have stood another hour or so and wanted to stand up and cheer, “encore!” when the end credits appeared.

 

Oscar Performances? 20/20

 

I predict that Teller and Simmons’ performances will remain my favorite of 2014.  Given its surprisingly low box office, I fear that not enough people are seeing this masterpiece.  Teller erases all the charm we saw from him in last year’s The Spectacular Now, and gives such a convincing performance, I found myself wondering how much of his striving to be one of the great musicians in this film might parallel his love of acting in real life.  Simmons also goes through some changes here.  He is no longer the laid back but stern and caring father of Juno (2008), or the wise cracking head government agent in the Coen Brothers’ 2008 farce Burn After Reading.  His head is completely shaved, exposing angry veins of simmering rage, his dress is all in black, like many jazz musicians, but on Fletcher it seems like he’s dressed for a funeral for which he may be responsible.  There isn’t an ounce of fat on his body, making him not frail, but stealthy like a cheetah looking for his next victim to devour.  Even Paul Reiser is great.  He plays Andrew’s dad, and even though he only has a few short scenes, his eyes and tone of voice convey a father’s unmet desire to regain the buddy-buddy relationship he once had with his son before he discovered his unparalleled talent.  He fears for his son’s sanity and safety, and so acts as one of the only human links the audience has to the story.

 

Lights, Camera, Direction? 20/20

 

Along with Teller, Simmons, and Jason Hurwitz (original music), the star of this show is cinematographer Sharone Meir (Last House On the Left, 2009).  The rehearsal space where The Studio Band sits waiting on edge in front of Fletcher looks like Veto Corleone’s home office in The Godfather - dark, but almost glowing.  The lighting and camera movement are brilliant, and director Chazelle has a master’s eye for filming the quotidian aspects of band practice. The quick cuts and close ups of sweaty faces and instruments during performance scenes, raise the stakes from mere performance to life-altering spiritual experiences.  None of the performance scenes actually look like fun - quite the opposite.  Chazelle takes the time to show Andrew’s practice sessions and with each one, the tone set by the acting, camera, and music take our main character farther and farther away from us.

 

Tell a Friend? 20/20

 

I’ve been telling everyone I know to see this movie.  As a musician and jazz lover myself, I don’t hesitate to make a recommendation, because even without any knowledge of music, the performances and directing speak for themselves, like Raging Bull – I know nothing about boxing, but Scorsese, DeNiro, and Pesci make that film a masterpiece I watch every few years.

 

Again? 20/20

 

I will absolutely watch this movie again, have already listened to the sound track a few times as an album and will most likely own the Blu-ray as soon as its available.

 

Total: 100%

 

Just a perfect film! Not only my favorite of 2014 so far, but of the last few years as a whole.

 

by Kenny Meier