Whiplash

Rating: 5/5

Whiplash is a film filled with intensity and precision, and is quite possibly one of, if not, the best movies about music presently in existence.

Andrew Neimann (Miles Teller) is a first year student at the Shaffer Conservatory of Music who dreams of becoming the next great drum legend. He knows of the school's highly skilled and prestigious conductor Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), but is convinced his talent on the drums are not up to the caliber demanded by the legendary teacher.

Andrew gets the surprise of his life when he is asked by Fletcher to join in with the band he conducts that is made up of of the school's most advanced musicians. When he arrives in class the next day, he is anxious to try and impress Fletcher, but quickly realizes his new conductor's methods to improve his students are much more than he could have bargained for.

The plot trajectory for Whiplash is not completely dissimilar to that of many sports movies, but varies from becoming cliche in many ways. Miles Teller's character does goes through many of the expected milestones an athlete would experience in a typical sports film, such as appearing to be less talented than the others surrounding him, being lucky enough to be noticed by an important coaching figure, sustaining multiple injuries, and having moments of intense self doubt where he is tempted to quit in his attempts to achieve his ultimate goal. Though those film traits described may make it seem like Whiplash follows a common pattern, it completely outshines any other film with a semi-similar plot due to its creative and inventive take on an underdog story.

Whiplash should become the "how-to guide" film for anyone who is looking to make a movie where the struggle and painstaking measures of learning to master an instrument can be not only witnessed by the audience, but felt as well. The cinematography and editing allows for multiple angles to be experienced by the viewer; that of Terence Fletcher, Andrew Neimann, and the drums that are played. With every sweeping shot the camera takes over the various instruments that make up the band or whenever it zeros in on certain players, you can't help but feel the music vibrating through your core and easily imagine as if you were hearing the music live and having each note surround your senses. When you watch Whiplash, there is no question in your mind as to why it won the Academy Award for its impeccably skilled film editing.

When watching Whiplash, I found myself getting incredibly anxious and feeling my heart race increase as if I were watching a very well made horror movie. But it wasn't monsters or killers that was making my body react this way, it was the uncertainty that came with J.K. Simmons' character and performance. It is clear from his first appearance that he is not a person to be trifled with and is one that demands respect, but it was his drill sergeant like qualities and the unattainable level of perfection he expected from his band, that made him such a loose cannon. You truly never knew what to expect from the character or how Simmons' was going to deliver it, and it is those qualities that undoubtedly won him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Miles Teller, though not nominated for an Oscar, was no slouch when it came to his dedication to his role. In so many scenes, Teller's level of commitment to the character could be seen in the individual beads of blood and sweat that dripped onto the snare drum from his face and hands, adding a sense of realism to the film that honestly made me wonder how much of his performance was acting, and how much was reality.

Whiplash is a movie that I waited far too long to see. I had been meaning to take the time to watch it for years, but for some inexplicable reason had waited until now to get around to it. I honestly wish that I had not waited so long, because that would have meant that I would have been privileged enough to have this movie in my life for much longer. Now that I've finally seen it, I know it will be a film that I will be watching over and over again countless times.

2015 Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role Winner: J.K. Simmons

2015 Best Achievement in Film Editing Winner- Tom Cross

2015 Best Achievement in Sound Mixing- Jason Blum, Helen Estabrook, and David Lancaster