You are either the best or you are not to be remembered at all and that's the whole point of this miserable life.

Rating: 9/10 (4 April 2018)

This is my second review and English is not my mother tongue, so keep that in mind, would you?
This movie has affected me in so many ways that I am not sure I am good enough to express each and every one of them. First of all, anyone who gave 1-5 star to this movie, really?! Go see some chick flicks and entertain yourselves. This movie is absolutely not for such people.
Secondly, J.K. Simmons and Miles Teller were so good that I cannot decide which one is the best and the other follows so this movie, as in its original story has two marvelous characters played by most talented actors, one junior and one senior and they deliver and convey every single note of this story perfectly. They actually painted a very difficult yet beautiful "The Master and his student, meant to be one soon" story for us in this film.
Yes, the scenes were pretty rough, I did not like them either. There are some disturbing scenes and yes, there is certainly abuse, both verbal and physical in the relationships between Fletcher and his students but that's all about folks. This movie intends to make us see that either you take everything and endure to become perfect in this life or you simply submit to loose. As Andrew says: "I do not want to be great. I wanna be one of the greats". If you just aim to be one great person, find a cuddly thoughtful teacher and dance with him/her. If you want to become legend, find a legendary master who takes no sh.t from you whatsoever. That is the only way you will be molded and become a dazzling sculpture out of an amorph piece of stone.
This story tells us that being one in a crowd is no different than being one of the billions of ants in millions of ant colonies and this feeling is the worst a human being may experience. To be nothing is pure suffering and most painful than what you need to cope with in order to chase your dreams. This movie teaches us that giving up should not be an option. Only the best of the best remain and only their names are remembered forever and a human life is worthwhile when this kind of rare miracle happens. Other than that, well most other things are just huge waste of time and energy, sort of. Yeah yeah I know, hard to admit but get over it!
So what, alrighty, great musicians, artists etc die younger, some of them at least, what a shame. However the decision also has been translated to us with the words of Andrew: I'd rather be dead 34 year old, drunk and junkie and someone to be mentioned in a dinner table than be alive until 90 years old, sober and someone that nobody remembers my name". Andrew knows his passion was consuming but he did not yield. He did not cede. He did not give up. That's how he won in the end because Andrew knew that being eternal, being immortal only happens when you never cede and this movie is based on that. A dedication and sacrifice can make you...perhaps happy but other than that, there is no solution.
Obviously, anyone can choose to be ordinary and be content of this choice in their lives and we should not be judgemental about their decisons but then these people must keep themselves in check in order not to whine about not living a fulfilling life, not chasing their dreams and disappoint themselves in the end or else. They are not allowed smearing good talented people who may become best of the best by sweat, tears and blood.
Some of the reviewers accused this movie as Hollywood junk but it is the opposite of it. It tells us that being famous is not the point. Being eternal is. And to be eternal, to write your name in the history of any kind of art, science takes too much effort and then some. A flame, a drive, ambition and courage. Devotion to yourself and your purpose. This is not everyone's cup of tea ladies and gentlemen. That's why we meet just a couple of hundreds of names in acting, music, painting or else among millions thoughout hundreds of years and that's why we are thrilled, inspired and fascinated by these people since these people happen very rare in our dull meaningless lives. We feel good just being witness of their amaze. We do not forget them ever.

I am definitely not a kind of person who is easily moved by fame or prosperity but I am bowing in front of every genuine talent and this movie reminds me how these rare talented people rise up from the worthless crowds. Just like Fletcher says: you have to believe that you have a reason to be here. Another point of the movie, sort of sideway but it is there, so yes, the story is also about that: you should find your own cause, a reason, full confidence of your calling to live a life worthwhile. If a person is strong enough, substantial, hard working, not a quitter, then you can understand that, this individual is also clever and whole enough to decide what his/her calling is. This kind of wholeness deserves respect. Also when Fletcher said to Andrew not to worry about the scales, numbers and what other people think but do what you do, we can see it in the last scene of the movie that, a priceless lesson was finally learned by Andrew, from his master whom he already betrayed for no reason but in the end, the greatest praise was the smile and appreciation in that same master's eyes whom he betrayed. Nonetheless he was forgiven which is a big accomplishment and that smile was the one Andrew was seeking in his whole life, not from anyone else including his weak father. He played the drums like nothing else was more important than that in this world and that's when he reached to a point of delivering a phenomenal peerless solo and that was what Fletcher wanted him to figure out.
In some reviews, apparently from people who did not understand a thing from this movie accused the character of Fletcher by being only an abusing, self-important teacher with no legit reason. On the contrary, he was such a solid character who knew what he knew, what his purpose in this life was and he was not apologising for pushing his students because what he believed was actually just like a paper which works for seperating acid from base. That's how you eliminate really good talented people who would take everything to be one of greats or just above mediocre and Fletcher did not have time and energy for mediocre. Indeed, as we can see him playing the piano peacefully in a jazz bar just for sole purpose of pleasure indicated us that he was not such a horrible person. He was sort of a broken man himself. In one of earlier scenes, in fact he sincerely cried for the loss of one of his former students who became a beautiful musician, his words for God's sake, pay some attention guys! These lines are defining the excellence of this marvellous story and movie.
When Andrew had an accident and still arrived in the music hall but rejected by Fletcher, I am sure everyone got angry. Well, I am looking from a different perspective: Fletcher warned all the musicians in the band to take at least two hours ahead for possible traffic issues before going to the place where the music event would occur which Andrew did not obey. He also forgot his sticks since he was in a rush which was a huge mistake. And also Fletcher tried to teach him a lesson that sometimes, a person's passion, eagerness would cloud the rational judgement but not everything is about you so you should also be a team player and think about other players first but Andrew was becoming blind because of his obsession and he was not thinking properly. It was a harsh lesson alright but most of the good lessons are.
So, short russian of this movie: No extraordinary success, fulfillment and happiness can find you without enormous amount of pain because being one in a million should not be that easy. And I wish this movie was made 20 years ago cause my life could have been totally different but then, director of this movie was three years old, lol. I tbelieve if you want to make a decision in life, you should first watch this special movie.
And of course uncountable kudos to Damien Chazelle, a thrilling master indeed who made this movie possible. Thank you Mr. Chazelle, many respects and admiration to you from my humble heart. At this very young age of yours, you have figured it out all!
I am taking away one star because other than Simmons, Teller and Reiser (he was protraying a wobbling father figure marvelously) unfortunately the other cast members were unbelievably poor but cinema is a team game too so good job for them. On the other hand, I am standing on my feet and applauding these three top notch actors whose names mentioned above since they have done their jobs flawlessly.
I believe this is a kind of movie in cinema history that would never be forgotten by so many film lovers and high quality audience.