Directorial Intention... doesn't mean it's my cup of tea

Rating: 2/10 (9 April 2015)

The crux of Whiplash's story is obsession; whether that be obsession with the form of something (Fletcher), or your own legacy (Neiman), or acceptance (Nicole) or status (everyone in Neiman's family), and this film explores the dark depth's of this obsessive nature, and creates realistic characters in doing so. However, that doesn't make Whiplash a "great movie".
It is a case where realism undermines escapism, as well as emotional attachment. In 106 minutes of film time I felt no empathy for any of the characters, in the real the world these are the type of people I would avoid and "b*tch" about to other friends; "Did you hear how Neiman got into his band? What a Richard?! And isn't it ran by that See you next Tuesday of a conductor as well? And here comes Nicole, oh god she is just such a downer... NICOLE! HEY!" I had to force myself through this film to what I felt was an unsatisfying conclusion, unfortunately since the film builds so much to this conclusion I will have to spoil it in the next paragraph.
Neiman spends the entire film trying to impress Fletcher; Fletcher constantly undermines Neiman and downright abuses him. Neiman, like some kicked puppy, runs back to Fletcher for another bit of abuse. Some of his band mates call Neiman a "f**cking retard" and I spent most of the film vehemently agreeing with them by the way Neiman acts. When Fletcher finally breaks Neiman at the end of the film after he switches out his music sheet and embarrasses him in front of the New York public, instead of giving up he realises he should be playing music for himself not for the approval of others.
This ending was projected through-out the film, and when the ending finally came it felt like a patronising school teacher's hand on your shoulder speaking around to the class "you shouldn't need the approval of others". *sigh* How many films feel like they need to tell me this moral/words of wisdom? I could list a 100 sports movies, Jesus even Happy Gilmore manages to have this idea in its film.
Then we move to artistic intent; "You weren't meant to like the characters?" I have watched whole TV shows about characters I don't like; "The Sopranos", "Breaking Bad", but they have to some redeemable qualities. Tony was funny, Walt was pathetic and an everyman. Neiman is a spoilt little rich kid and Fletcher is an elitist know it all hipster, they have no self-awareness and no sense of humour, they are always serious and always stuck in their character.
Of course there are a few things I liked about this film. JK Simmons and Miles Teller were so on point with their acting that I could have went out watched the two people I know like them, and I wouldn't have notice the difference. Damien Chazelle also seems to have a great deal of affection for the genre of Jazz, and sprinkles the film with some great choices for music.
I did however have a lot of problems with the cinematography. People raved about how alive the film felt, but to me it felt stale. Constant close ups of music performances felt like beatniks describing jazz musicians, rather than fluid pictures, also lighting felt so similar to the college environment in "The Social Network", that I just couldn't see what all the fuss was about.