Stretched the bounds of believability

Rating: 6/10 (17 November 2014)

It is often taught that a screenwriter can do anything in the first five minutes of the script and the audience will go with it. Unfortunately, the same does not hold for the first 30 minutes of the film. This film really stretched the believability quotient for me. It was over-the-top absurd at times and I didn't "buy" much of the action. The music school was preposterous, people simply wouldn't let this behavior fly in this century. Miles Teller was quite good as the student, but I felt JK Simmons was miscast. Not because he is not a good actor, but because his TV persona is so memorable and opposite, that I just couldn't believe him in this role, unfortunately. The role was just ridiculous at times, so it's not just the actor. I'm happy to say that the film does get better in the second half, but not enough that I would recommend it.