Bursting with energy

Rating: 10/10 (30 September 2014)

At first sight, Whiplash seemed to me as another talent movie, which features the same clichÃ©s, no matter it's about music, dancing or sports. But the great reviews made me really curious about it, and I can honestly say, that it's nothing like your usual film about music.
Damien Chazelle's work, like every beginner director's is full of raw power and energy. Every moment of Whiplash has so much dynamics and tension. You wouldn't expect surprising twists from these kind of movies, but Whiplash has the quality to show you something unexpected in every minute. The director incorporates a few small, but clever twist in the narrative, and these aren't twists for the twists' sake. Chazelle is unlike any other young director: his work is unbelievably calculated, there's not a single unnecessary frame in this picture, and he can always capture the essence of the moment or the actors' performances.
And that's a good thing, because Whiplash relies hugely on those actors. Simmons' presence rules every scene he's in, he has clever lines, but the actor is doing most of the work. Miles Teller is a bit shadowed by him, but the young actor also does a great job, and the chemistry between the two of them is the absolute highlight of this movie. And with that, Chazelle can achieve that the songs are not just some promotional material, but important storytelling devices in the conflict of the main characters. The director is also great at capturing emotions through these song.
Which takes us to my only problem with Whiplash: the scenes of the rehearsals or the musical performances are so intense and strong, that they make every other scene disappoint you a little. That's exactly the case with the storyline of the love interest or the middle part of the runtime.
Whiplash is not the film of great words, act or emotional effects. But I think, nobody's going to care about that, because Chazelle's perfectionist storytelling is going to compensate everybody for that. It's not an flaming improvisation, it's not a shitty, but catchy pop song, but it's an artistic symphony. It may not be a classic, but it's brilliant cinema.