Sheer Genius From Chazelle

Rating: 10/10 (1 February 2015)

Where to begin, Whiplash is the reason why I love films so much, I went into this film knowing it was about a guy who plays the drums and he has a harsh teacher, and I then proceeded to have my mind blown by this extraordinary film. Firstly, Miles Teller is phenomenal and gives a performance which I hope signifies the start of a long and successful career, this guy can act!! However his performance is completely overshadowed by what I think is one of the great performances in cinematic history. J.K Simmons take a bow, he plays Terence Fletcher a psychotic, incredibly passionate music teacher who attempts to get the best out of his students, this leads to some truly brilliant encounters with Teller's character Andrew Niemann. Whiplash is a film that has your complete and undivided attention from frame 1 and this is also due to the fantastic editing in the film which skips from scene to scene without giving you a second to breathe, the tension in this film is building from the start and leads to in my opinion the greatest ending I have ever seen, a 9 minute drum solo in which you are transfixed and blown away by this man's talent. Supporting performances from Paul Reiser and Melissa Benoist are also stellar in their roles as people who are affected by Andrew's actions and his sacrifices in order to become the best. Whiplash is an inspiring film and an incredible effort by Damien Chazelle.