Review of Whiplash (2014) by Spangle — 17 Mar 2015

Damn is this one intense. Throughout, this one makes you feel as though you are the one being screamed at and belittled. Wow. Stellar direction from Damien Chazelle, insane to think that this is his directorial debut. The sky is the limit for this wonderful talent. The writing is strong and wherever it stalls or the story stalls, the direction is strong enough to make up for it. Though, what really makes this film is the acting. Miles Teller and JK Simmons are MARVELOUS. I really wish the studio was able to campaign for both of them, because Teller deserved recognition for this role as well, though I am glad that Simmons rightfully received numerous accolades. Teller has a bright future ahead of him if this and The Spectacular Now are any indication, as he was brilliant. I never expected a film about orchestra to be as harrowing and intense as this, but man oh man does Whiplash ever keep you on the edge of your seat. The interactions between Teller and Simmons rival that of Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs, that is how intense and well done they are, as that is my favorite film of all-time.

What prevents me from giving this one a higher rating, however, is that you can tell this was a short film stretched out to feature length. While stuff added certainly adds to the overall film, the odd romantic element served little-to-no purpose and any development could have been achieved elsewhere. In addition, even his relationship with his father felt like filler to add to the run time. This film is about a kid who plays drums who wants to be great and his overly intense teacher. If the film had stayed a bit more focused in that regard, I would have given it a higher rating. As it stands though, Whiplash is a terrific film that displays the talents of both Miles Teller and JK Simmons, while also establishing Damien Chazelle as a director to keep an eye on.