All that jazz

Rating: 6/10 (21 April 2015)

For all of its widespread critical acclaim and multiple award nominations and wins, I found Damien Chazelle's 'Whiplash' to be a rather thin and clichéd regurgitation of the tired "Driven artist, intense student/mentor relationship" trope with absolutely nothing fresh to say or offer up.
I believe its reputation is primarily built upon the strong performances of its two leads, Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons. Though both characters are paper thin, each actor absolutely inhabits them in a way that adds a dimension that isn't on the page. Their impressive performances only make me wish that much more that the material were up to their level.