Sunday, October 19, 2014

Whiplash movie review

This is a really good movie, so please give it all your whipcash. *ba dum tss*


Whiplash is a film directed by Damien Chazelle, and stars Miles Teller as Andrew Neyman, a young jazz drummer, who goes to one of the best music schools in the country under the tutelage and training of Terence Fletcher (played by J.K. Simmons), a well respected, feared, and determined instructor. Neyman's drive to become 'one of the greats' and Fletcher's personality and teaching method come head to head in a really intense and electrifying movie.


All the performances in this film are nothing short of flawless, but the two standouts being Teller and Simmons, of course. Probably the best performance he's given us so far, Teller really goes all in for his character. He just really draws you into and makes you more invested in his character and his struggles, and he is such a fantastic actor to watch on screen because you can see the passion and the drive there. It's exciting to see that, and it has a major impact on his performance. I do believe he'll get some awards recognition for this and rightfully so.

J.K. Simmons... can you just give the guy all the awards? Holy crap. As he's on screen, I can only think, "wow, he just makes the scene his bitch, doesn't he?" Simmons was so good, so intense, morbidly funny, and diabolical. It's like his J. Jonah Jameson performance on steroids, so you can imagine how far you are on the edge of your seat just because of a speech his character is giving. His character may have a hard exterior, but also a soft center that Simmons nails beautifully.


Another highlight of the film for me was the directing. The film emits this indescribable energy in mostly all of its scenes. The scenes in which the band is practicing their sets is just so beautifully made. Everything from the shots to the editing to the performances of the band itself, it was extremely well done. On the other hand, the scenes where it's just dialogue and character interaction are pretty intense as well. The dialogue is sharp and on point and, as I said, the acting is phenomenal, so most of the film will keep you on the edge of your seat, heart pounding like crazy, and I loved the hell out of it.


Whiplash is an electrifying, intense, and beautifully made film with outstanding performances. I highly recommend this film, because you'll have a hard time finding a better film this year.







No comments:

Post a Comment