They could have done better

Rating: 8/10 (28 January 2014)

I saw this about 24 hours ago at the Best of Fest for Sundance, and this last 24 hours I have done little but think about and marvel at this film. I really had zero expectations going in, I heard the buzz surrounding it in town, but knew very little about it as the film began. I have yet to get the words that do my thoughts justice for this movie but I am going to try.
First everything about this film was stellar; casting, writing, acting, directing, music and cinematography all came together to just tell an incredible story. I want to say a bit more about a couple of these aspects.
Acting, first of all I don't know who impressed me more Miles Teller in the lead as Andrew Nieman or JK Simmons playing Band teacher Terence Fletcher. Both did so great that had either been a lesser actor they would have been out shined by the other. Simmons' performance really reminded me of Gunnery Sargent Hartman from Full Metal Jacket, except rather than emotionally destroying and rebuilding marines he was doing it to 18 year old kids. His character could have easily been cartoony and 2 dimensional but Simmons gave him such depth that the whole film I felt compassion for and even understood his motives, even before he lays them out for Nieman in the third act. Two scenes bring you to the core of this character and the line that has intrigued me for 24 hours is "No words in the English language are more dangerous than 'good job.'" (thus why I titled my review as such, sorry I couldn't resist). Then on to Teller's performance, for a younger actor who I haven't seen in much I must say he played his role like a seasoned actor. His performance just wrapped me up and to find out he did much of the drumming himself is insane. Whilst watching some of the intense scenes I felt like I was watching him be executed, and other times it feels like the fight in Rocky, you feel like you are just watching him get demolished, except all of this is emotional rather than the easier physical. Whether it is the discouragement, the socially awkwardness, the single parent household, the internal conflict, the hubris, the arrogance, and at times the mental torture that he put himself through, all just blew me away. Teller reminded me of a much much more talented John Cusack and had the charisma and electricity to connect to the audience.
The one other thing I must commend is the writing, so often you kind of know where a movie is headed but this movie stayed very unpredictable and just when you think for certain how a scene or sequence of scenes will play out they take a hard left and keeps you off balance (in a good way). It was so refreshing, a few times I thought the bow was on the film but then something disrupts how "it should go or end".
Sorry if I rambled, perhaps after thinking on it more I can get a more focused review, needless to say this film is a must-see when it gets a broad release. Great job to all involved and congrats on winning the award at Sundance, you certainly earned it.
One last thing if this gets attention in wide release this could see a heightened interest in Jazz, this is certainly a film that can make even the not-so musically inclined want to throw on a Jazz record and just drown in it.