Not Quite My Tempo

Rating: 8/10 (25 January 2015)

I don't think anyone can question Miles Teller's acting talent after watching Whiplash. Matter of fact it should have never been in question, especially after The Spectacular Now or even Divergent. He is getting better with every role and it's only a matter of time before he is also being nominated for an Oscar. J.K. Simmons plays the ultimate jacka** teacher, who looks to other means of educating the Jazz band, abuse. When I say, I don't think there has ever been more of a despicable character I mean it. I can't even describe his character without cursing and wanting to yell in this review. Whiplash is truly an exhilarating experience that anyone with a superior who pushed them too far, can relate to.
Andrew (Teller) is a motivated drummer, fresh out of high school and enrolls at the cream of the crop music school. He meets Fletcher (Simmons), who is just about the most strict music teacher on the planet. I never had a teacher like that, but I did have a harsh baseball coach in high school that took things too far at times. You're not a teacher or coach when you make the kids hate what they're doing and despise coming to that class or practice everyday. It makes me wonder how many of these educators we have in the world, and worse, how many are getting away with it. He's the type of man that when he walks on screen you immediately worry for everyone in the same room. Simmons was intense in the Spider-Man franchise, but he is ten times as bad in Whiplash. I think I'm actually afraid of J.K. Simmons now.
Miles Teller apparently learned how to play drums for this role, but his intensity and emotional depth is unparalleled here. I can't see how he will be a bad Reed Richards, even with the chaos surrounding that project. He literally put his blood, sweat, and tears into this project, and it showed. That's why it's heartbreaking to see his character change as he gets more lost in Fletcher's world. His personality takes a turn for the worse and it ends up pushing the people closest to him away. Some of the actions Andrew does, or tries to do, to impress Fletcher is intolerable for the audience to see. Because of how much I hated Fletcher, I don't think I have rooted for someone more than I did with Andrew. I can say I will never coach kids or students like this, it's just inhumane.
The script is nearly perfect. Some of the lines Simmons says are a few of most malign things someone can say to a person. What's worse is that he knows if you're lying and will flip the script on you if you're caught. Simmons will easily win the best supporting actor Oscar this year, but his character is so maleficent that I almost don't want him to. I do have a problem with the ending. Without spoiling anything, I just wanted more out of it. I would like to think with who these characters are, it would have wrapped up more to my liking. It's almost like the characters stuck too much to who they are, instead of completing their character arc.
+Teller's immense dedication
+Simmons.. enough said
+Exhilarating roller-coaster
+Script
+Relatable with probably everyone
-Ending
8.4/10