Review of Whiplash (2014) by Jdb26354 — 07 Mar 2015

Pros: score, cinematography. Cons: plot line wobbled on credibility, (surprisingly) performance of Simmons as the domineering band instructor. I was in the mood for a test-your-dream story set in the music world, and Whiplash delivered.

The basic story arc of an ambitious musician finding what he's made of in the New York performing arts world is delivered in workmanlike fashion. Ultimately, however, I did not fear Simmons as the instructor, and thought too much of his dialogue was re-worked from the drill instructor in "Full Metal Jacket.

" Here, I may have been the victim of high expectations, given the Academy Awards. The drumming performances were quite compelling, at least to a non-expert such as myself, and drew me in to the history of jazz, with Buddy Rich and Charlie Parker key icons of the shared values of the main characters.

I thought the final act was a little contrived to arrive at a Hollywood climax, resulting in the pacing of the story becoming more uneven. Ultimately, if this movie rates universal acclaim, then "The Paper Chase" would as well, and I don't think most critics would put the latter in cinema's top echelon.