Whiplash
by Cheeto
Posted on 17 August 2021
Rating -
Whiplash is a 2014 American psychological drama film written and directed by Damien Chazelle. It depicts the relationship between an ambitious jazz drummer (Miles Teller) and an abusive, perfectionist bandleader (J. K. Simmons) at the fictional Shaffer Conservatory. Paul Reiser and Melissa Benoist co-star.
I love films, they’re my passion, but there’s a few films in which it took me a while to watch. Whiplash is one of them, with the main reason being that I thought the film was all about a band, it’s not really my thing. A couple of years later, when I finally sat down and watched it, I was completely blown away.
First off, in my opinion, Damien Chazelle is one of the best directors of the last 15 years. This film just backs that statment up, his style is woven throughout this film, and I am all here for it. I think that this film is brilliantly paced, this is even more impressive when the film contains slow character led scenes, and tense scenes of action. Chazelle is able to mold the two together to truly create a masterpiece of a film.
Chazelle really does show how to write characters, just the way his characters are, they are fascinating, and they make for a great watch. J.K. Simmons puts in a legendary performance, he more than deserved his Oscar for his portrayal of unconventional, gritty composer; Terence Fletcher. J.K. Simmons really does showcase his acting ability in this film, a lot of the tension of the film comes from Simmons himself. You can tell how much he put into the role. He bosses the screen, even in scenes of tense action, he is an unlimited presence, and the film wouldn’t be anywhere near as good without him.
I’m not the biggest fan of Miles Teller, and that was a huge red flag for me going into this film, he showed me that I was being silly, and that you should trust the process. He holds his own as the laid back, but sometimes explosive Andrew. Miles Teller truly does show an acting ability I doubted, and I will more than hold my hands up and say I was wrong. Like I said, Teller portrays Andrew as a laid back pushover, but once his buttons are pushed, he almost becomes as explosive as Simmons.
I love the story and execution of this film. I thought it was going to be another story of someone realising their potential, getting into the inner ring and taking his place. This movie is so much more than that. What this film is, is a tense back and forth, not just between Andrew and Fletcher, but our two main characters and themselves. This film really does take us through the ringer, and it truly does make for a fascinating watch. To see Andrew get knocked down time and time again, only to fight for his place, you truly do have to take your hat off to him.
I cannot make a review about this film without mentioning the legendary last act of this film. We somehow see the best and worst of our characters, as they go back and forth, trying to get one up on the other. The final scene shows Andrew playing a legendary drum solo, much to Fletcher’s dismay. Only after he sees what Fletcher has moulded Andrew into, only then does Fletcher succumb to what he is seeing. The film ends with the two smiling at eachother, this is so impactful as everything leading up to this, they’ve been at eachother’s necks.
When the credits rolled, I knew I had watched something special, a film that only comes about every 15-20 years. This truly is a masterpiece of a film, definitely watch this one guys.
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