A must see with strong character performances

Rating: 9/10 (21 November 2018)

I went in this movie thinking it would be a 'feel good' movie about a young drummer getting to make a career. This movie does tell that story, but there is not much to feel good about after the credits roll..
The movie is about Andrew Neimann (Miles Teller), a promising student on the drums at Shaffer Conservatory of Music, who wants to be as good as legendary drummer Buddy Rich. Andrew is currently drumming in one of the school bands but he wants to get a place in the schools studio band that is conducted by the most respected professor of the school: Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons). One day Fletcher suddenly storms in the room where Andrew is practicing with the band and after listening to (and insulting) each student briefly, he invites Andrew to come to his class. Andrew starts as an assistant drummer and quickly learns that Fletcher transforms into a drill sergeant from hell when conducting and the whole band is trembling in fear when he accuses one of the players being out of tune. However, when the band takes a break Fletcher does strike up a friendly conversation with Andrew talking about his family and gives him a chance to be core drummer. Andrew is made temporary core drummer after the break but when he struggles to keep up the tempo of the song "Whiplash", Flitcher hurls a chair at him, slaps him in the face and throws the details of his personal life back in his face as insults. Despite this abuse, Andrew still wants to be the best drummer of all time but will the ridiculous high standards and physical abuse of Fletcher be to much for him to handle?
This movie was exceptional since it tells a story we all have seen before (promising student climbing to the top) but without the typical feel good element usually found in these movies. Fletcher is an absolutely dis-likable figure who believes his harsh way of teaching is justified because it's the only way to find the next great jazz musician. That he destroys many good students careers (or even lives) in the process does not concern him at all, he cares only about meeting his ridiculous high standards. I felt sorry for Andrew in the beginning, he tries really hard, but Fletcher keeps pushing him further and further that I was hoping he would simply find another teacher. But he keeps destroying his own life, sacrificing everything to meet Fletchers demands and turn into a huge jerk who is so full of himself that he alienates everybody around him, including his other band members and his family.
The greatest thing about this movie is the exceptional great acting from J.K. Simons and Miles Teller. Simons plays an angry Fletcher so well that i felt uneasy myself when he is getting mad at Andrew because he plays 'out of tempo'. Teller also plays a great role, starting as a likable student and turning into a jerk with delusions of grandeur. And while I don't listen to Jazz, the music used in the music was really great. The only 'problem' of the movie was that after the first act, there were no likable characters! This made it both interesting and hard to watch, and kept me hoping for a happy end... It's hard to talk about the ending without spoiling but I will say that it can be viewed both as happy and not so happy. (if that does make any sense..)
Definitely a must see if you like movies with strong character performances and stories about people developing from student to "greatness".