A modern masterpiece and an inspiring tale.

Rating: 10/10 (23 May 2017)

Each decade or so, at least one film comes that blows and captures the audiences' mind and heart. Whiplash is one of those movies, and for very good and understandable reason.
Whiplash is the first ever feature film directed by Damien Chazelle and features a strong cast, having JK Simmons and Miles Teller in the lead performance. The story follows an ambitious drummer who wants to achieve greatness. He is tutored by a psychotic mentor who uses any means necessary to bring the student's potential.
So the story doesn't sound that complex or new, why does the film gets this huge amount of praise and love? Well, for a lot of reasons.
First, this film is beautifully crafted. From the graceful usage of camera, lighting to the phenomenal cinematography, this film truly handles the art of craft in a way that benefits the experience of the film. You get immersed in the story and the conflict the characters face. The focused shots give a great detail of the picture. The lighting of the film gives an intense feel, with its shadowy, orange and green colors. It just amplifies the experience.
One of the other stronger points in the film is definitely the performances by Miles Teller and JK Simmons. Miles Teller gives a strong, passionate performance which fits his ambitious character. He is very relatable and you want to follow his dream till the very end. JK Simmons gives the best performance in the movie, with an eerie psychotic and intimidating performance, his character is one of the scariest mentors to ever come across the big screen. Surprisingly though, the character is not just some violent mentor. There is an incredible amount of depth that this character has. And even his violent nature plays an integral part to develop Miles' character.
The third act of the movie is possibly one of the greatest third acts in film history. This is the climax of the film that has been built up since the beginning, and it exceeds expectations with its subtle character development, phenomenal performances and fantastic film making. The film proves that one element of film making is not enough to inspire. All other elements matter, and the director shows this with his directing. His full control gives a near perfect film, with very few minor flaws.
Whiplash is not just a great film, its an outstanding masterpiece and one of the best modern movies that will possibly be seen as a classic in the future. Highly recommend it.