Whiplash Movie Review
"There are no two words in the English language more harmful than good job."
-Terance Fletcher
Whiplash left me speechless by the end. I was in a room full of people and we were all speechless. Whiplash was a film that I definitely wasn't expecting. To be honest it was difficult to convince other people to watch it with me because it just doesn't have that much of an attraction factor to it. On the surface it's about a young man who loves playing the drums. He blends in with everyone else at his performing arts school and doesn't have much of a family to boast about. But beneath it's exterior there is a phenomenal story that makes it's way up through all the mediocrity and shines very bright. Starring the up-and-comer Miles Teller and the hardened veteran of the trade J.K. Simmons, Whiplash takes you on a ride you're not likely to forget anytime soon.
Miles Teller plays Andrew the main character of the film who's life is about to get a whole lot harder before it gets any easier. He practices his drumming everyday, as it's one of the only things that makes him feel special. While he is enrolled in the prestigious Shaffer Conservatory in New York, he wants to be better. One day he is chosen by one of the most infamous conductors in the conservatory, Terance Fletcher, to be an alternate drummer in his studio band. At first he is ecstatic, but quickly realizes the he's in for something he was not prepared for at all. Fletcher is not only extremely verbally abusive, but borderline physically abusive as well. But Andrew is determined to impress Fletcher at all costs. For a movie that isn't violent, there was plenty of blood, sweat, and tears to go around. I looked at playing instruments in a very different way after watching this film, I can tell you that much.
Looking back, there are many things that really stuck out to me about this film. Firstly, the dialogue was very clever. As despicable of a character as he was, J.K. Simmons had lines that just left you speechless. Some even evoked that awkward laughter because even though he said some really vulgar stuff, the performance and execution on his part was phenomenal and definitely earned him the Oscar nomination for Actor in a supporting role. Miles Teller also had a wonderful performance and I'm liking him more and more every time I see him. He's a solid young actor who I think has a long successful career ahead of him. Another reason why I truly loved this film was because they took a story that may not seem to appealing to the general audience and turned it into something spectacular. The pacing of the film was perfect, the development of both the characters and the story felt right, and the performances were excellent.
Whiplash did an excellent job of making us empathize with Andrew while making us very confused on how to feel about Terance. Opinions are surely swayed throughout the film and people will land at different conclusions and that is what makes this film beautiful. It gives us a unique perspective on something I never really gave much thought to and the director Damien Chazelle really drives it home. I was not expecting Whiplash to be one of my favorite films of the year and the feeling of an unexpected, pleasant surprise never gets old. Bravo to everyone that made this film possible. With enough shock value and twists to keep you on the edge of your seat, I give Whiplash a 9.5 out 10.
Miles Teller plays Andrew the main character of the film who's life is about to get a whole lot harder before it gets any easier. He practices his drumming everyday, as it's one of the only things that makes him feel special. While he is enrolled in the prestigious Shaffer Conservatory in New York, he wants to be better. One day he is chosen by one of the most infamous conductors in the conservatory, Terance Fletcher, to be an alternate drummer in his studio band. At first he is ecstatic, but quickly realizes the he's in for something he was not prepared for at all. Fletcher is not only extremely verbally abusive, but borderline physically abusive as well. But Andrew is determined to impress Fletcher at all costs. For a movie that isn't violent, there was plenty of blood, sweat, and tears to go around. I looked at playing instruments in a very different way after watching this film, I can tell you that much.
Looking back, there are many things that really stuck out to me about this film. Firstly, the dialogue was very clever. As despicable of a character as he was, J.K. Simmons had lines that just left you speechless. Some even evoked that awkward laughter because even though he said some really vulgar stuff, the performance and execution on his part was phenomenal and definitely earned him the Oscar nomination for Actor in a supporting role. Miles Teller also had a wonderful performance and I'm liking him more and more every time I see him. He's a solid young actor who I think has a long successful career ahead of him. Another reason why I truly loved this film was because they took a story that may not seem to appealing to the general audience and turned it into something spectacular. The pacing of the film was perfect, the development of both the characters and the story felt right, and the performances were excellent.
Whiplash did an excellent job of making us empathize with Andrew while making us very confused on how to feel about Terance. Opinions are surely swayed throughout the film and people will land at different conclusions and that is what makes this film beautiful. It gives us a unique perspective on something I never really gave much thought to and the director Damien Chazelle really drives it home. I was not expecting Whiplash to be one of my favorite films of the year and the feeling of an unexpected, pleasant surprise never gets old. Bravo to everyone that made this film possible. With enough shock value and twists to keep you on the edge of your seat, I give Whiplash a 9.5 out 10.
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