Art over humanity

Rating: 5/10 (28 January 2016)

Andrew (Miles Teller) is a smug young guy who thinks he can become a great drummer. Fletcher (J.K. Simmons) is an instructor whose eye Andrew catches and who decides to give him a chance.
"Whiplash" is not specially original. The plot could be your TV- movie of the weekend. Young guy raises against his weaknesses through mean but great instructor. And that is one of the problems with "Whiplash", as one or twice takes decisions that are basically not very original or interesting and are just there to raise the stakes against Andrew. Because of that, the movie's greatness depends on the package. And here the movie offers a mixed bag.
That the two principal characters are quite annoying doesn't help. Andrew is a spoiled child who thinks too high of himself; of Fletcher, on the other hand, we're supposed to believe that he is bossing and abusing, pushing Andrew around, but he actually comes out more as an insecure bad-mouthed fellow. It's not that J.K. Simmons does a bad job, is that his character is supposed to shout and swear a lot. And that doesn't make an instructor. Or a mean and harsh one.
The idea of the movie, of course, is that you have to be pushed (or push yourself) to become great at art. There's once that Andrew asks Fletcher if that is right, and Fletcher says yes. The movie does it too. Because of that, the short-comings are more easily spotted, as the view on the subject is poorly balanced. To make a great artist (writer, drummer, painter...) the artist doesn't have to go through an ordeal or suffer or become aloof and detached. For some it may help to be focused. For others, maybe another option is better.
But in the end all revolves around Fletcher and Andrew's relationship. And here it all becomes a childish game, as both become little brats more than once, and just shout at each other, as if shouting makes your argument better. Of course, that's the point of the movie. But also the point of the movie is that one should belief that this interplay has an effect on both of them. And here's where "Whiplash" fails and the movie just becomes a story about two selfish child-men.