"There are no two words in the English language more harmful than "good job" "

Rating: 10/10 (16 November 2016)

Andrew Nieman (Miles Teller) is a teenager, newly enrolled at the Shaffer Conservatory of Music--the school with the best music program in the United States, hopelessly obsessed with his compulsion to become one of the greatest drummers to ever live. He is the black sheep in many aspects of his life; his family is not musically inclined, he struggles in social situations and has no desire to forge friendships. Andrew is a loner, driven only by his musical passions. One of the most noted bands at the Shaffer Conservatory is Terence Fletcher's (J.K. Simmons) jazz studio band. Fletcher's band is as well-known for its penchant for winning band competitions, as it is for it's militant and abrasive conductor. Students vie for a seat in Fletcher's band due to their consistently high competition standings, but Fletcher's brand of leadership is not one that all students can endure. Fletcher pushes people to their very limits with his verbal abuse knowing exactly what punches to throw based on the individual. Despite his constant abuses, Andrew wants nothing more than to gain Fletcher's respect and accolades. Being brought into the band as an alternate drummer, Andrew will stop at nothing to prove himself to his disparaging instructor. Eventually sacrificing everything in his life, including his coveted relationship with his single-parent father and his health, Andrew must decide what he is trying to do in his life and how Fletcher and his expectations correspond with Andrew's desires.
Director Damien Chazelle makes some brilliant decisions for his 2014 film. Among the decisions that make Whiplash a cut above the rest are the quick cuts he uses throughout. By choosing to use such rapid- fire cuts throughout the film, Chazelle makes the audience a part of the world of playing music, especially helpful for novices of the craft. Another outstanding choice by Chazelle was the low-key lighting used throughout the film. The lighting which almost makes the film look yellow or orange sets a unique tone to the film, illustrating the notion that being a part of Fletcher's band is like being in a whole new world. Chazelle also focuses his lighting mostly on the band, with special emphasis on the drums, initially casting Andrew outside of the lighting, eventually engulfing him the more he becomes engulfed with the version of success Fletcher identifies with.
J.K. Simmons nearly convinces me in this role that no actor has ever been more deserving of the Best Actor Oscar than he was in this film, he is that good in it. Simmons character, who initially comes off as a one-dimensional drill sergeant like band teacher, is revealed to have a depth that not all actors could have pulled off. Simmons had the task of creating a character that was uniquely inspiring, yet unnervingly debilitating. Fletcher seemed to truly believe that he was on a mission to sift through every practice room where a truly great performer may go unnoticed and hone their talents before gifting them to the public. It seems Fletcher uses his rigid hateful demeanor to weed out those that do not possess the skill and drive that it takes to become "one of the greats".
The much talked about ending pits the master against the student in a duel to prove who has the stamina to withstand the other, and whether or not the talent was present all along or not. Was Fletcher trying to ruin Andrew--it seems so, but when Andrew refuses to be thrown to the side like a set list after a concert, Fletcher's motivation seems to change right before the audience's eyes. After his initial plan fails, Fletcher seems to push Andrew, in a positive way, through the difficult music and seems to want to see Andrew succeed. Even that shift in attitude leaves the audience wondering just what Fletcher's motivation is. Is Fletcher simply attempting to pad his resume by finding great musicians he can groom for success, or does he just love music so much that he wants it to be enriched with the best talents available in the world at the time, the audience never knows, and Fletcher may not either. This complicated motivation and multi-layered characterization serve as a testament to what Simmons did with the part, and how well he pulled it off. There is a brilliant scene during the ultimate on- stage battle at the end of the film between in which Andrew's father Jim (Paul Reiser), who was in the audience for Andrew's show, is seen looking through a doorway at his son on stage. There is a fleeting, brilliantly captured look on Jim's face that show simultaneously, that he no longer knows who his son is, and his worry that he may have been replaced in his son's eyes. Andrew has completely changed who he is, in order to fit into Fletcher's band, and the skilled way in which he is playing on-stage prove that he has greatly developed as a musician. Drumming can no longer be brushed off as a lighthearted hobby discussed only during Thanksgiving dinner anymore, and he may actually be "one of the greats" like he always wished to become. Jim also seems to see that Andrew has been far more influenced by his instructor than his father. Andrew has been strongly motivated by another man, possibly diminishing the role his father will play in Andrew's life. A stunning visual spectacle, a wonderful score, and superb acting from J.K. Simmons make Whiplash a film to be remembered for years to come.