Absolutely the best film of the year and perhaps the past 10

Rating: 10/10 (26 February 2015)

Birdman is the pretentious heap that this film blows out of the water. As an artist, playwright, film maker, and writer I went into Birdman WANTING to love it. But alas, where the acting was good, the writing was not.
Finally when it came Oscar time, I got to see Whiplash.
This. This. This. is a film about art and about struggle. JK Simmons is absolutely incredible (although his acting career has already proved he can do anything.) Yes, he plays a hard arse teacher... and there is the debate that this film pushes that mentality that the only way to push your students is to demean them... but I see another side to it. For me at least, it was about the struggle we have as artists even just to accept ourselves as good enough. JK Simmons is the embodiment of the demons all artists struggle with.
The entire film you are on the edge of your seat. It's a beautifully simple story while still being a very complex film. I've seen all the nominees and this film absolutely should have been best picture. Anyone that has seen it and "gets it" knows what we are talking about when we say that. It has such passion and fever that it is a classic already. I rarely say I have favorite films... but this one certainly jumped to my top 5.
It's a testament to great acting, writing, directing and story. You'd be amiss to deny yourself the chance to see it.