Sunday 15 February 2015

Whiplash 2014

This film is purely actor-led. The scope of the story is limited and it lasts for less than 90 minutes. But the performances will blow your mind.

Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller) is a student jazz drummer, who has been accepted at a prestigious music school, where he joins the studio band, led by Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons). What initially looks like a tough gig, turns out to be a complete nightmare for Neiman. Fletcher is not a hard task-master; he is a complete tyrant who continually abuses his students in a bid to get them to reach perfection. But in Neiman, he unleashes a rare quality: extreme perseverance to excel no matter what.

While Miles Teller is brilliant, this film belongs to J.K. Simmons. He is nothing short of genius and within minutes of him appearing on screen, you completely forget all the comic roles he has played in the past. He owns the character of Terence Fletcher and is a scary, horrible man, with no limits to his tyranny.

Whiplash is an excellent film, with brevity and supreme editing on its side, and performances that have been nominated for various awards. Very highly recommended.