Whiplash

Rating: 10/10 (24 January 2015)

I saw the trailer for this film and thought it looked good and unusually dark, I liked the fact that the supporting star of Spider-Man was getting a bigger role also, and with award nominations and high praise from critics for it, I knew it was a must see. Basically 19-year-old Andrew Neiman (Rabbit Hole's Miles Teller) attends the prestigious Shaffer Conservatory music school as a first-year jazz student, his skill is drumming, he inspires to be a great drummer like Buddy Rich, and one day he gains the attention of respected professor and conductor Terrence Fletcher (Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe winning J.K. Simmons), only for him leave the room with no word. Andrew elsewhere olives with his father Jim (Aliens' Paul Reiser) and they often go to the cinema, it is there he is often served by college student Nicole (Melissa Benoist), and he asks her out and they start dating, and not long later Andrew is approached by Fletcher, he is accepted into his band as an alternative for core drummer Carl Tanner (Nate Lang). Andrew arrives early to his first session, Fletcher arrives and the class practise the Hank Levy piece "Whiplash", it is during this that Andrew sees what he is getting himself, as Fletcher is abusive towards the students, mocking and insulting, and when he hears instruments off tune or rhythm off tempo he will hurl a chair, slap and berate. Andrew is determined to impress Fletcher, so he practises constantly at home with his drum kit, to the point where his hands bleed due to sores from the drumsticks, and he breaks up with Nicole thinking she will distract him, and next Andrew attends a local jazz competition, with a misplaced music sheet he claims he can play "Whiplash" from memory and he is promoted to main drummer, however core drummer Ryan (Austin Stowell) from a former class replaces him and he is demoted to alternative. In a following class session Fletcher tearfully talks about talented former student Sean Casey who has died in a car accident, after this the band rehearses Juan Tizol piece "Caravan", but Carl struggles with tempo, so Fletcher keeps him, Andrew and Ryan in the classroom for several hours until they can perfect their playing, Fletcher finally gives core drummer position to Andrew. Andrew makes his way to a competition, but problems arise as first the bus he is on breaks down, so he rents a car determined to make the performance, arriving late he is kicked out by Fletcher for forgetting his drumsticks, Andrew drives back to the car rental office to retrieve them, speeding back his car is hit by a truck, he survives the accident and crawls from the wreckage badly injured covered in spots of blood, he arrives on stage but is unable to play properly, Fletcher tells him he is "done", and Andre attacks him in front of the audience. Andrew is expelled from Shaffer Conservatory music school, a lawyer representing the parents of Sean Casey contacts and explains that Sean hanged himself after suffering severe anxiety and depression, Fletcher's abusive methods are being blamed, Sean's parents want to stop him teaching, Andrew testifies and Fletcher is fired. Months later Andrew sees Fletcher performing in a club, they drink together and Fletcher explains his behaviour, he wants to achieve greatness which is why he pushes his students beyond expectations, he invites Andrew to join his band to perform at a festival concert, Andrew agrees and wants to invite Nicole, but she reveals she has a new boyfriend and cannot come. On stage before the performance, Fletcher tells Andrew he knows he testified against him, the band then begin playing a piece Andrew does not have the music sheet of, leaving him humiliated on stage as he tries to keep up with the tempo. But as Fletcher makes a speech Andrew interrupts with his drumming and he begins playing "Caravan", he cues the rest of the band to play along and Fletcher follows suit, Andrew continues an extravagant drum solo, playing non-stop, Fletcher is first angry, but during the play slowly supports him. As the solo ends, they share a smile and Fletcher cues the the finale. Also starring Chris Mulkey as Uncle Frank and Damon Gupton as Mr. Kramer. Teller proves a fantastic newcomer as the student who will not give up on his dreams of becoming a "great" and making an impression to his teacher, but the film absolutely belongs to Simmons who is a sensational tour de force as the foul-mouthed maestro who thinks nothing of bringing his students to literal bloodshed to make perfect music. I agree Reiser perhaps could have had a bit more to do, but he cannot stand up against the storming performances of Teller and Simmons. This gives the often made "inspirational teacher" plot a good kick in the face, it's like a cross between School of Rock and Full Metal Jacket, with a drillmaster-like composer getting the head of the hero drummer, it is a great combination of terrific music pieces, bad language and blistering mind games, with a marvellous script, it will keep you gripped all the way to the showy ending, I cannot say enough how much I loved this film, an exceptional music drama. It won the Oscars for Best Film Editing and Best Sound Mixing, and it was nominated for Best Motion Picture of the Year and Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay Damien Chazelle, and it won the BAFTA for Best Editing and Best Sound, and it was nominated for Best Original Screenplay and the David Lean Award for Direction for Damien Chazelle. Outstanding!