for a directorial debut, this is the way to do it!

Rating: 10/10 (25 August 2017)

If you've seen Full Metal Jacket, imagine ol' mild-mannered Sgt. Hartmann obsessed with molding his youngsters to a pinnacle jazz musician (he may be irreligious too, but the Virgin Mary ain't ever there to dump on him about it). Terence Fletcher (played by J.K. Simmons) is this unwavering perfectionist with a special fondness for one Andrew Neiman (played by Miles Teller). The significance of the father character is easy to dismiss on the first viewing, but he does well in complimenting Neiman's dedicated practicing to mold his drumming skills into something Fletcher might someday deem praise- worthy.
Very few storytelling dichotomies nowadays get as compelling as this, and the immense tension which stirs between them feeds into an unforgettable, yet pleasantly unexpected climax. While Neiman's flaws are very present and almost unshakeable, they're more indicative of how talented of a writer Damien Chazelle is. His directing of this movie is redolent of how I perceive most David Fincher films (sadly, no climactic scene revolves around the contents of a box. Brad Pitt done maximized that storytelling plot- point for all of time.).
It's very hard not to appreciate this film's directing, acting, or cinematography, but even if they're aspects you were underwhelmed by, it's a definite film worth an honest viewing.