Intensely absorbing and energetic with two great performances

Rating: 8/10 (20 February 2015)

Whiplash is only the second movie of 2014 that overly exceeded my expectations (first one being Nightcrawler). Being neither a fan of jazz music nor finding a much stellar cast in this one I must say I was highly impressed. Whiplash is a tightly wound experience that puts forth the intense relationship of a student with his literally brutal mentor. Whiplash provides ample scope for deep study of its characters and their psychology.
Miles Tellers plays Andrew Nieman an aspiring Jazz drummer who is confident and talented. One day at his music school the iconic main school band teacher Terrence Fletcher (memorably performed by J.K. Simmons) observers Andrew practicing. He sees some spark in Andrew but isn't fully convinced of what he is capable of. Fortunately for Andrew on another fine day Fletcher storms into their class asking each student to play what he wants and Andrew impresses playing something which he is very good at. Flecther brings in Andrew into the main school band as an alternative drummer. In order to become the main drummer Andrew has to face the seriously exhaustive and physically draining teaching methodology of Fletcher. Fletcher's motive behind all this is to find the next big jazz star in his students for which believes one should defy the limits. While Andrew is highly motivated and inspired climbing the ladder of success slowly but is unknowingly degrading his personal life. He is unable to keep up with his girlfriend and also ends up with family issues. Whiplash tries to portray what we mind end up with trying to achieve perfection in our field. The ultimate successful moment is very rewarding but many of the earlier hardships and sacrifices get overshadowed.
Breaking down the various aspects of the film, the thing that stands out is the performances by the two leads. Miles Teller driving the enthusiasm and energy into the character of highly motivated drummer is really inspiring. While J.K. Simmon's pitch perfect portrayal of the furiously scary mentor was raw and brutal. Even if the character was unforgettable one thing I would like point out is that it would have been better if more light was shed on Flethcer personal life which would have made his character slightly more believable. After the acting, the terrific music and soundtrack absolutely sucked me into the jazz atmosphere.The track 'Whiplash' over which Flecther throws a chair at Miller for not reaching the perfection is mesmerizing. Whiplash has made me a fan of jazz music out of nowhere. The editing and cinematography is splendid which we can see that in the intense and energetic drumming sequences which will keep you glued to the screen. The final drumming sequence in the climax was so exhilarating, it gave me goosebumps. Director Damien Chazelle who wrote the script himself keeps the screenplay focused on the two main characters. The story is quite unpredictable and you can expect some twists here and there. I found it hard to believe when I read somewhere that the whole film was shot in 19 days. Nothing more to say. Excellent.
To sum it up, Whiplash is one movie of 2014 not to be missed. 2014 has been really outstanding with films like 'Boyhood', 'Birdman', 'Nightcrawler', etc. and now another gem called 'Whiplash'. I am thankful for witnessing such quality film-making. Excellent performances with absorbing story and direction plus the jazz music on top of it made Whiplash a memorable experience which stayed with me for hours after finishing it. It is energetically inspiring and heartfelt. Don't miss it.
RATING: [4.5/5]