Enthralling story

Rating: 8/10 (14 March 2015)

An enthralling story, set against the backdrop of a prestigious music school. It covers one young man's attempts to reach the top of the musical industry, and the band leader who may be his ticket, or his nemesis.
A deeply psychological drama, it explores issues like ambition, obsession and power.
Has a few interesting twists too, especially towards the end.
Not perfect: some of the twists aren't consistent, character-wise. The final scene overplays the conclusion and is too neat in some ways. Despite this, it missed having a final word on one or two of the themes, leaving these as secondary considerations in favour of a more Hollywoodesque ending.
Decent performance by Miles Teller in the lead role. Superb performance by JK Simmons as Fletcher, the band leader. He well deserved his Best Supporting Actor Oscar for a performance that is searingly intense and perfect for the character.