A film that really surpassed my expectations

Rating: 10/10 (24 February 2016)

I cannot express how much this movie surprised me. For some reason the plot just did not seem that interesting to me and if I hadn't seen all of the great reviews I probably would have never gotten around to watching it. I thought to myself: "How good can a movie about some kid wanting to be a drummer really be?" After watching it the answer is pretty simple. Whiplash truly was an amazing film.
Whiplash follows young Schaffer Conservatory student Robert Neiman (Miles Teller) who aspires to be one of the greatest drummers in history, and his relentless instructor Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons). Both deliver great performances, but Simmons is the one who really stands out. His performance really makes you question the motives of Fletcher. Sometimes you get the feeling that he uses his rough teaching tactics to better his students and push them to their limits, while other times you feel that he is really just a sociopath who enjoys insulting his students. At many times during his barrage of insults I couldn't help but think of R Lee Ermey's performance in Full Metal Jacket.
The story is compelling with many ups and downs that keep you hooked throughout. This is not just a movie about an aspiring drummer, but about how an obsession can take over one's life. Neiman is obsessed with becoming one of the greats while Fletcher is obsessed with teaching his students to become some of the greats. Both of them let this obsession take over and control their lives. It is also very inspiring in the way that Neiman will stop at nothing to achieve his dreams, and Fletcher will do the same to get Neiman to his dreams. Fletcher believes in pushing people beyond what they think they are capable of in order to truly become the greatest they can be. As he says to Neiman at one point: "There are no two words in the English language more harmful than "good job"."
Even if this movie doesn't seem like it would be your type of movie, I highly recommend it. There really is nothing that I disliked about this movie. The story is great, and many of the scenes will have you on the edge of your seat. This is one of those movies that will stick with you long after you finish watching it. For me this was a perfect film and it earned a 10/10.