Whiplash, 2014
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Thami
Super Critic
50 posts
Signed up the 30/03/2017On 03/01/2018 at 13:08 Quote this message
"I was there to push people beyond what's expected of them. I believe that's an absolute necessity."
Whiplash is an intense psychological musical drama directed by Damien Chazelle with Sharone Meir in charge of cinematography & Justin Hurwitz handling the films score. The film stars Miles Teller, J.K.Simmons, Paul Ressier & Melissa Benoist.
The story revolves around Andrew Neiman a 1st year jazz student has just recently been enrolled at the prestigious Shaffer Conservatory in New York City. Andrew is talented drummer with a lot of potential & aims to emulate his hero Buddy Rich widely considered to be the greatest drummer of all time. One day when Andrew is alone practicing his drumming technique the renowned conductor Terrence Fletcher discovers him & invites him to perform in his studio band an opportunity only afforded to the most talented music studios. Andrew however soon finds out that working with Terrence is a truly harrowing experience as he revels in using a tough love approach to get the best out of students when performing. The toxic relationship between the student & the teacher soon starts spiraling out of control and pushes young Andrew towards dark & dangerous territory.
Whiplash is an absolute gem of a film which explores how the sacred bond between teacher & student can become corrupted by fear, anger & resentment. The chemistry between Miles Teller & J.K.Simmons is absolutely astounding as these two thespians really bring the best performances in each other. This is arguably Teller’s best performance of his entire career especially considering that he is usually better known for his performances in comedies, he gives a nuanced portrayal of a young man who we can all see is being pushed to the edge in an effort to prove to himself & to his abusive mentor that he has the talent to go all the way. J.K.Simmons completely slayed it as Terrence Fletcher portraying the cruel conductor with epic zeal & venom.
Whiplash is an exhilarating ride from beginning to end filled with explosive & emotional individual performances from the two main protagonists played by Teller & Simmons. It’s an intimate look into how far a person is willing to go to achieve their dreams & how much pressure can they handle before they shatter into a million pieces. A truly splendid offering from Damien Chazelle & arguably his magnum opus in my opinion.
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