Regardless of what you’ve done, be it band, art, theatre, or something in between, virtually everyone knows the pressures of performing in some way, shape or form, and everyone at some point has had a teacher or director who, to them, bears resemblance to an infamous German politician.
“Whiplash” is the second feature from director Damien Chazelle, who previous directed the gritty jazz musical from 2009, “Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench.” “Whiplash” has that tyrannical instructor, and from the very first scene you realize that is who he is. He makes people perform outside of their limits for, what appears to be his own sick and twisted amusement.
But, more than watching our hero be tormented, the thrill of films with these premises is to see why exactly these instructors are like this. Is it really just a twisted mentality, or is there some alternate motive behind it all? Damien’s previous credits also include writing the films “The Last Exorcism Part 2” and “Grand Piano.” While not received as well as “Whiplash,” both films have an air of tension, thrilling-ness, and mystery to them, and Damien keeps that tone in this film.
What appears at first glance to be an inspirational film where a student overcomes the odds to become a great musician soon becomes a kind of psychological thriller, as J.K. Simmons’ Terence Fletcher oozes mystery and threat with every word shouted at Miles Teller’s Andrew. You hang on every scene that has the two of them and a drum set, making this the most powerful and intense thriller of 2014, not a claim I would have expected to give the film when first going in.
J.K. Simmons is a man that I have seen in many a role before, on television in “Gravity Falls,” “The Legend of Korra,” or live action fare like “OZ” or “Law and Order.” He’s been in Video Games like “Portal 2,” and in films like Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man” trilogy. But nowhere have I seen him, let alone anyone else, pull a performance like this. He has this raw anger and malice to him, but still manages to be likable. You want to like this guy, even after you see him yell a child of relatively larger disposition out of the room, stating “I won’t have you cost us a competition because your mind was on a fucking happy meal instead of if you were out of tune!”
He clearly deserved the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, but the fact that Teller can keep up with his relentless anger and pace is also a testament to the young actor, who has shown that he can do great work, like in “The Spectacular Now” and less than stellar work, like in the abysmal “Fantastic 4.” These two are an even match, with both soft looks and steely eyed gazes locked onto each other. Unfortunately, the female lead leaves a bit to be desired. She isn’t awful, but just in comparison with the talent shown by Simmons and Teller, she feels subpar.
Music also deserved a nod, because if it was shit, well then a film about music wouldn’t really be able to do that much then. Every scene with music being played is a delight, making it clear that these guys are musicians first and foremost. The ending in particular got my blood pumping and my adrenaline up more than any action movie has in years.
It’s a testament to the writing of Damien Chazelle and the acting talents of Simmons and Teller that turn “Whiplash” into a tight knit, and fascinating film. It’s intense and will leave you speechless in many points. All of this, matched by a truly unpredictable pace and story makes “Whiplash” one of the best films of 2014. 5/5