'Whiplash' is an outstanding piece of art highlighted by Teller and Simmons

Rating: 10/10 (21 June 2015)

I had been very excited to see Whiplash for a long time. Reviewers that I follow and watch had praised the movie a lot, and from the trailers and things I knew about the film, it looked like a fantastic film. So, when I finally saw that it was on Starz on Demand, I immediately sat down and watched the full 106-minute picture. Boy, am I glad that I did. Because, in my personal opinion, Whiplash is one of my favorite films of all time. Let's get into why.
Whiplash follows a first year jazz student at the prestigious Shaffer Conservatory in New York, named Andrew Neiman, who catches the attention of a famed conductor, and the jazz teacher at the Conservatory, named Terence Fletcher. What follows this is a psychological battle of wits between a hardass teacher and a student who just wants to please his teacher.
This movie seriously is fantastic. Let's start with the obvious: the acting. Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons together are probably the best movie pair I've seen in a long while. They play off of each other so well. I honestly believe that if Teller or Simmons hadn't been in the movie, it wouldn't have worked so well.
Simmons brings a whole new level to the character of Fletcher. Fletcher is constantly spewing out insults and such, and what makes it work is that Simmons is so dedicated to his role. I read that on set, Simmons would always be in the character of Fletcher during takes, but during the breaks, he'd be the nicest guy ever, which made the filming sessions easier. That's some damn dedication right there. And we can't forget about Miles Teller, who truly plays the character of Andrew well. Teller hits the right balance between a scared student who wants to please a teacher, and a student who just wants people to understand how his music affects him. It's a joy to watch his scenes with others, like his father or his girlfriend, and how he tries to convey to them what the drumming truly means to him. The other main actors, Paul Reiser, Austin Stowell, and Melissa Benoist all do well in their roles as well.
The music featured in the film (including the pieces Whiplash and Caravan) all sounds fantastic. I was honestly surprised at how cool the music sounded. I wasn't expecting jazz music (because going into the film, I actually didn't know how big of a part jazz played), and it worked so well for me, probably because of that. The cinematography and the film editing really bring this film up another notch, if that's even possible. The editing during Teller's drumming scenes really puts you in Andrew Neiman's shoes as he tries his hardest to please a teacher who can't be pleased. The cinematography works as well, showing off the band and Neiman equally, which gives greater perspective to what Teller's character is trying to accomplish.
The overarching plot and script to the film are fantastic. As I said, the dialogue is actually really great, and I do see why people really enjoyed the screenplay and why it was on the Hollywood Black List in 2012. It's really fantastic, and some of the exchanges between Fletcher and Neiman are just exhilarating to watch.
Whiplash is definitely one of my favorite films. The acting, music, editing, script, and just everything about the film is fantastic. If you want to see some Oscar bait, a prime example of it is definitely this film. If you haven't seen this glorious piece of art, please go see it. You'll thank me when you did.
10/10 | Grade: A+