Whiplash Movie Poster

Andrew Neiman is a freshman jazz student at the Schaffer Conservatory, a purely fictional school for the musical arts in New York.  As a drummer, he aspires to become another name added onto the list of celebrated jazz musicians. While at Schaffer, Neiman meets a conductor by the name of Terrence Fletcher, who accepts him to his studio band after watching him play the drums. Neiman quickly learns of Fletcher’s extreme conducting techniques to make sure his studio bands are always at top form. Frustrated that a fellow studio band member of his on the drums is getting more performance time, Neiman goes out of his way to prove to his berating conductor that he is the right cat for the job.

Whiplash’s plot was inspired by its director’s(Damien Chazelle) experiences whilst taking part in a Jazz Band at Princeton High School . The movie’s exaggerated documentation of these experiences contributes to the feeling of intensity created by both Neiman and Fletcher’s characters. The plot and setting of Whiplash’s story was not complex, however not simplistic enough to keep it’s viewers uninterested. J.K Simmons(Terrence Fletcher)  won an Academy Award for “Best Actor in a Supporting Role” for his role in Whiplash, and rightfully so as he always keeps the audience guessing what his tone and motives are at any given moment. Its not until he’s swearing his pants off, berating his studio band members that viewers can have an accurate idea of his tone. Miles Teller’s(Andrew Neiman) performance in Whiplash was quite impressive too, as he does a great job of accurately representing Andrew Neiman’s never-say-die attitude and antisocial persona.

I personally recommended this movie to all my peers because it is that good. Specifically, I think this is the perfect movie for all those dream chasers out there with big goals and aspirations. The movie gives its viewers an accurate depiction of the amount of dedication and guts needed to be good at something. I would also like to recommend this movie to all of those who are into music–no matter which kind. The meanings of a few musical terms may fly right above your head, but Fletcher’s signature catchphrase “not quite my tempo” is for the most part all you’ll need to understand to get the movie’s occasional, yet effective comedic value.

To conclude, this movie is a must watch for all with a very impressive performance put on by a selection of Hollywood’s top class actors. Parents, just keep your under 13 year olds away from the movie, unless you want an almost endless line topped out swear jars on your kitchen counter-top.

Verdict

9/10

Image Citation : Blumhouse Productions. “Whiplash Poster.” Wikimedia. Wikipedia, 15 Sept. 2014. Web. 05 Apr. 2015.