Review of Whiplash (2014) by Jack F — 26 Aug 2016

One of the best aspects of movies is that they can make any subject, no matter how mundane it may seem on the surface, into a compelling watch. "The King's Speech" somehow managed to make the story of a man with a stutter as riveting as any underdog sports movie. And "Whiplash" makes the tale of a music student in a jazz band with the instructor from Hell into an absolutely exhilarating experience. By the time the film ends, the audience feels almost as wrung out as its lead actor undoubtedly felt after some of the takes. Well, almost...

Miles Teller plays the student, a young drummer at a prestigious New York music school who finds himself in a jazz band conducted by, to paraphrase Red from "The Shawshank Redemption," the hardest screw to ever walk the halls of the academy. J.K. Simmons plays said screw, and though he'd been a highly talented character actor well before "Whiplash," I can guarantee you've never seen him quite like this. Let's just say that Best Supporting Actor Oscar from a couple years ago was well earned.

This guy conducts the band like a drill sergeant, barking obscenities at any unfortunate sod who happens to hit a wrong note. Actually, he makes R. Lee Ermey in "Full Metal Jacket" seem downright cuddly by comparison. There is no insult he won't spit, no piece of furniture he won't hurl. Nothing is sacred or off-limits, not even a wayward mother who abandoned her infant child.

At the film's onset, he takes an interest in Teller because of his nimble drumming skills, and from then on he seemingly begins to wage a war on the kid, almost as if he's determined to break him. But is that REALLY his goal, or is this whole campaign really just an attempt to push him beyond his limits, to help him achieve greatness?

Well, I'll leave that for the audience to decide. We know what the teacher himself believes, but I don't necessarily think that makes it true. It's a topic that deserves discussion, and I don't think it's an easy closer. It was on this very point that I very nearly took points off the film; some of the teacher's actions are so downright abhorrent that I find it hard to rationalize, no matter what the end result. Fine line between hard motivation and abuse.

But then I began to think that "Whiplash" WANTS us to feel conflicted like this. It's the film's intent to dig into these emotions. While it would seem that the film is making an argument for one stance, the brief subplot of the former student surely implies that the "extremely, EXTREMELY tough love" approach is not as sound as people may believe.

And to the film's--and Simmons'--credit, there are a few moments that humanize the character. He's not a one-note monster, and although it's a role that teeters dangerously close to the realm of cliche, Simmons never crosses that line. A lesser actor may have turned this guy into a caricature, but Simmons finds just the right note. He displays an almost Daniel Day-Lewis type of screen presence; you can't take your eyes off him.

Teller is very good as well. Here's a young actor who seems to be struggling a bit with his film choices as of late, but if nothing else, he'll always have this one and a role he absolutely owned. He's fantastic at every turn, whether it's during his early, likable stages, or his later, more petulant persona. Some of Simmons' callousness appears to rub off on him, and he becomes a bit of a self-righteous little prick. (Though to be fair, during the family dinner scene, it's hard not to blame him for lashing out.) Additionally, I have no idea whether Teller truly did all the drumming himself, but he's certainly convincing.

"Whiplash" is a true gut-punch of a film, the kind that's not always likable, but one in which you're always FEELING something. I can't really say I "enjoyed" it per se, but I don't think you're really supposed to, and in that regard, it is supremely effective at what it set out to do. Masterful work here from writer-director Damien Chazelle.

And another thing...it ends on an absolutely pitch-perfect note.