by Robert Lucas
Whiplash has been lauded with just about every praise imaginable (including an Oscar for JK Simmons), but does it deserve it? Is this really THAT good a film? Isn’t it all just people’s opinions anyway? And why would I care about a film all about drumming? It’s OK my friend, I had the same questions too. I suppose the real question is, was I wrong?
J.K. Simmons is a man who springs up in random roles and then vanishes just as quickly, I’ve never seen him in a movie where he dominates the pace, film or tone quite as much as Whiplash. I can say with confidence that in Whiplash J.K. Simmons gives the performance of a lifetime. He is gripping in every scene, every word, every syllable and has you on the edge of your seat. His performance as Fletcher is both unrelenting and low key in a combination of such skill that I’m surprised I’ve never seen it before in him.
Of course we shouldn’t forget the other man in the room – Miles Teller, I have sung his praises since the beginning. Teller has something about him which makes him better than other actors. Teller has that unfathomable feature, the IT factor, just like Joseph Gordon Levvitt.
If we were to forget Teller’s talent for a moment then we can find another reason to see Whiplash. Teller is the man playing the drums in the film, he took lessons and practiced continually, that level of dedication deserves a reward.
Whiplash plays out like it’s very own drum roll, building and building and building until the film’s finale where the battle of wills comes down to the wire. The ending to Whiplash is one of the strongest I have ever seen.
Teller and Simmons are an incredible duo. Whiplash owes everything to the two leads, their chemistry is what makes the film strong, their dedication, their talent, their love.
You can tell that Whiplash is a personal piece for all involved, not least the director Damien Chazelle who says the movie is partly based on his own experience in music school. Chazxelle’s success in Whiplash is that he has perfectly illustrated how it feels to have a desire for one goal and the lengths a soul will go to for perfection.
Whiplash is without doubt one of the cleverest, bravest and most gripping pieces of cinema I have seen in years. It is perfect.
5/5
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