Review of Whiplash (2014) by Akashvijay — 18 Jan 2015
The movie glosses over reality on so many occasions that it's hard to take it seriously. Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons give great performances but they're both oversimplified characters. Simmons just plays a comic book villain.
How no one filed a complaint against him in his time at chauffeur is beyond me. Moreover how did he get a job as the conductor of a pro band despite the fact that he's been accused of emotionally torturing a boy to the point where he committed suicide? Shouldn't Fletcher be in jail? How is he walking free.
Moreover some of his actions don't even make sense. He expels a student from the band who is in tune because he didn't know whether he was off tune but doesn't even take action against the one who's out of tune, even though he's completely oblivious to that fact as well? I'm sorry is it just me or is that a contradiction.
Car accidents don't seem to bother our protagonist too much. That's the least of his problems. He just couldn't afford any scars at that time so he didn't get any. "There's no to words more harmful than Good Job"? Really? That's not dark, that's not bleak, that's just stupid and simplistic.
Whiplash is a film about the pain that accompanies passion, and the blood that's shed on the road to perfection. But sadly, it doesn't execute well. The movie has some tense scenes but the overall result is contrived and unsatisfying.
It has a few twists but ultimately it's the same conventional story about the tough love shared by the arrogant apprentice and the abusive master.
This review of Whiplash (2014) was written by Akashvijay on 18 Jan 2015.
Whiplash has generally received very positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
