An Emotional Punch to the Gut

Rating: 8/10 (3 February 2015)

A promising young drummer (Miles Teller) enrolls at a cut-throat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor (J. K. Simmons) who will stop at nothing to realize a student's potential.
This film will take people by surprise. Few viewers likely care about drumming or jazz music today. And they may think this film, therefore, will have no bearing on them. But it is so much more than that, an emotional punch to the gut that hits hard.
Holding this together is the interaction of Miles Teller (who seems to be getting less credit than he deserves) and J. K. Simmons (who is getting the praise he ought to be). So intense, and quite the power struggle.
Some have disliked the film for its message. But do they really know what its message is?