Whiplash

Starring: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Paul Reiser, Melissa Benoist
Directed: Damien Chazelle
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Music
2014

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A young drum student (Miles Teller) faces off against a ruthless, relentless instructor (J.K. Simmons) who will stop at nothing to push his students to greatness.

Review:

Tim: If you told me a music movie about a drum student would also be one of the most thrilling, psychologically disturbing movies of the year, I would have had a very hard time believing you. Whiplash upturns any expectations you might have, as director Damien Chazelle delivers one of the most unexpected (and best) films of 2014. This is a great movie, and it has 3 Academy Awards to show for it.

Most of the attention for the film will be for J.K. Simmons' masterful portrayal of a ruthless music instructor. This is deserving, because he is chilling. I loved the balance he maintained (although it might not seem like it at first). Simmons says and does some despicable things throughout the course of the film, And yet, never ventures into all-out psycho territory. I never felt for a second that his character had completely lost it. This is a man who is firmly in control, but is more than willing to push his students far, far beyond their breaking points. This role could easily have been one of a truly demented person, but Simmons holds onto his humanity and his reason. That is one of the biggest reasons I believe he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. A less confident actor could have turned this into a horror movie with his performance. Simmons keeps this a drama and one that is all the more chilling because it feels somewhat believable. Simmons deserved the Oscar and I'm glad he won it.

While Simmons gets most of the attention, Chazelle wisely doesn't depend on one person to make a great movie. He recognized that he needed to tell a truly powerful story. I loved the deeper themes here. The movie really comes down to a choice. You can choose a life of pain, misery, and ultimately, a shot at immortality through your greatness. You have to sacrifice everything to get to that point. Or, you can choose a comfortable life, a happy life. You can achieve a few things here and there, have friends, but ultimately, be utterly forgotten. What would you choose? Most people would opt for the latter. That is the decision Miles Teller's character ultimately must grapple with, and that's the aspect of the film that I believe will still with me the longest. It results in a restrained conclusion that only builds in power the more you think about it.

Speaking of Teller, although he's in Simmons shadow, he gives a remarkable performance in his own right. Teller has amassed a very impressive young career so far, and this might be his finest moment. He's usually hilarious and charismatic, and I loved how he tempered those things way down for this role. His quiet intensity is amazing and some of the drum sequences were just astounding (I know he didn't do all the drumming himself, I'm talking about the facial expressions and body language). This movie would have been nearly great (but not quite) just with a wonderful performance by Simmons. It's the play between Simmons and Teller that really makes this movie special. After watching him here, I believe Miles Teller could be one of the greats.

In addition to the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Whiplash also brought home the Academy Awards for Best Film Editing and Best Sound Mixing. Those technical categories might not be glamorous, but the fact that this little movie about a drummer and his instructor received 3 Academy Awards tells you Chazelle did an amazing job. This is only his second feature film directed. If this is an indication of the guy's talent, I cannot wait to see what he does next. Whiplash is incredible- it's easily one of the best films of 2014.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



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