Whiplash is worth watching for the jazz music alone - pity about the drum solos!.

Rating: 8/10 (1 April 2016)

When I reviewed "Birdman" recently, I said that I am not a fan of drums solos. I have nothing against drums or drummers, and I understand that they are an integral, essential element of any popular band or group, but solos that last for more than about 10 seconds drive me – and many others – to distraction. Sorry, but I fail to see anything in a drum solo which can be considered musically stimulating, or inspirational, and the only thing I like about them is when I realise, with relief, that they are about to end.
Sure, I understand very well that the likes of Buddy Rich, Ginger Baker and Keith Moon were talented geniuses and as long as they stuck to providing the background rhythm for the music, and playing together with the rest of the musicians, I enjoyed their drumming as much as the next man.
But long drum solos are a load of old codswallop as far as I'm concerned.
In one of my many former incarnations, I used to be a pop concert promoter and I still recall that just about every 'name' pop group when performing a live concert, would include a long drum solo in its set. It was only included so that the rest of the musos could go off stage to have a break, down a quick beer, drag on a joint or sniff a line of coke. The solo would last as long as it took for all these guys to return to their positions on stage, and it had little to do with musical prowess. It was just a time- filler. Later in the set, there would be the obligatory acoustic guitar/vocal duet to allow the drummer to disappear and partake of his own, personal adrenaline boosts.
So Whiplash, which is about a budding drummer being knocked into shape (in more ways than one) by a teacher in a prestigious music school, was never going to be that well received by this reviewer.
I'm probably going to invite open warfare by stating that in many respects, Whiplash is simply a superior remake of the cheesy 'Fame' movie franchise; albeit with a lot more gritty violence, some outstanding acting and some great jazz music.
Indeed, in spite of the darkness of the plot, there were still some sentimental, cheesy moments, especially when the teacher went off the rails when one of his former students committed suicide. To me it was a bit corny - seen it all before - nothing like the off-screen death of somebody not in the movie to evoke a few tears and sympathy.
As for the student walking away unscathed from a terrible car crash that would have killed most and – covered in blood – makes it to his drum stool, just in time to perform, only to find he forgot his drumsticks. Such machinations belong more in a cliff-hanger novel by Dan Brown than in an Oscar contender for best movie.
But having said all that, I have to fess up and say that it was a pretty good movie and I quite enjoyed it – only glancing at my mobile phone a couple of times, when those bloody drum solos went on too long.
It is the story of a young drummer-prodigy who is put through his paces at a respected music academy by a sadistic music teacher, who thinks nothing of slapping his student hard across his face or throwing things at him if his drumming tempo is too slow or too fast – neither of which is discernible by the naked ear.
The underlying message, or question, is just how far anyone should go in the pursuit of greatness or perfection. We are regaled more than once with the story about the saxophone genius, Charlie Parker, who at the age of 16, was brought down to earth with a crash as he lost his way while improvising "I Got Rhythm". The drummer, Jo Jones, lobbed a cymbal at him in frustration, and the audience laughed and jeered. Parker stalked out of the venue and after a year of intensive practice, he returned and performed – as a character in Whiplash puts it – "the best f—in' solo anyone in the room ever heard."
Whiplash is the story about what happens when a teaching mentor and his student prodigy are determined to go to any lengths, no matter how painful, to achieve success.
(Sounds familiar? Fame, anyone?)
You can guess what happens in the end, but along the way, there is some truly great acting by JK Simmons as the teacher, (what a voice ! Where's he been all my life?), and the student, Miles Teller.
Whiplash is worth watching for the jazz music alone, but it might have been even better if it was about a saxophonist or a trumpet player or maybe a clarinetist – and not about a bloody drummer and his bloody drum solos