Wow. You know those movies that remind us of why our passion is our passion? Whether expression is based on artistry, discussing philosophy, saving a patient from cardiac arrest, or in this movie's case, musical talent, we always forget where the love for what we are interested in comes from. Whiplash sets the bar very, very high when it comes to striving for this achievement.
Our protagonist, Andrew Neiman, (played by Miles Teller) plays a 19 year-old college student who is striving to become the next Buddy Rich. He sees jazz instructor, Terence Fletcher, (played by J.K. Simmons) as the gateway to forming him into a true drummer. Halfway through his sit in on Fletcher's jazz ensemble practice, Andrew soon realizes the ways of the conductor's teaching. These teachings begin to take a toll on Teller's character as he breaks off his relationship with a girl just so that Fletcher can make his fingers bleed some more. This is the point where the film begins to show what true perseverance looks like. Staying up all night to master something, giving your all to impress the experienced, cutting out all of your free time, and making sacrifices will simply not cut it. If you want the part, play for it.
The relationship between the two is breath taking. J.K. Simmons at one point throws a chair at Teller's character (which was not scripted). There are certain times where I could smell the sweat coming off of the musicians including Andrew Neiman. If a movie can build suspense based on whether the protagonist will strike the cymbal at the right time or not, you know that the film has done itself justice.
Rank: A
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