PLOT:
A young and talented drummer attending a prestigious music academy finds himself under the wing of the most respected professor at the school; one who does not hold back on abuse towards his students. The two form an odd relationship as the student wants to achieve greatness, and the professor pushes him.
REVIEW:
What did I like?
Jazz is life. Full disclosure, not only am I an avid jazz fan, I also perform here and there when I get the chance on one of my other lives. With that said, I may have a slight bias toward the subject matter of this film, but it should be noted that the number of films that deal with jazz, at least in this authentic way, are few and far between these days (they were a bit more commonplace between the late 40s and 60s). Seeing a film that deals with jazz education in a loving, reverent way, as well as giving audiences a soundtrack that will get their toes tapping and fingers snapping is a true feat, not to mention throwing in some jazz history in the dialogue (listen to Fletcher speak on Charlie Parker).
Practice pain. Whether you played an instrument or not, at some point, everyone wants to play drums because it is the “cool” instrument. At least it is until you get to high school and see the extra fees, time, etc that come with being a good percussionist, rather than just a drummer. It takes lots of practice to be good, even more to be great. As a freshman drummer at a prestigious music school, one can imagine the pressure to stay on top. Add to that an instructor who is hard as nails and pushes his players to their very limits and it is no wonder Andrew, played by Miles Teller, was practicing so much his hands were bleeding. I can’t say that I have known any drummers that have practiced that hard, but I never went to a music school where your whole life revolves around performing, either. The pain of watching Andrew make sacrifices to be the best, especially at his young age is real, and the audience can sympathize.
Fletcher. Think for a minute about J.K. Simmons. What do you best know him from? For me, it’s his perfect casting as J. Jonah Jameson in the Toby Maguire Spider-Man movies (and the quick cameo at the end of Spider-Man: Far from Home). As good as he is in that role, no one would ever call him Oscar worthy. That is until he takes on the role of Terrence Fletcher. Fletcher gives Simmons the chance to really flex his acting chops, relish in being a complete asshole of a person, and is quite the memorable character. I had a few jazz instructors in my day, none of which were anything like this guy. They were more nurturing and understanding. However, I can’t help but wonder had they been more like this how different things would have turned out with my continuing jazz education.
What didn’t I like?
Make it look real. The general public won’t notice this because most are not musicians and/or have not picked up a horn since they quit middle school band to take art, but in almost all of the band scenes, it is more than obvious they are not playing. For me, this was most obvious in a scene where the band is performing the title track “Whiplash” and the trumpet section is supposed to be muted, but not a single one of them has a mute. There aren’t even any on stage! Granted, as a trumpet player, that sticks out to me more than it would anyone else. I will give Miles Teller credit, though. His drum skills looked real. From my understanding, he actually did play drums at one time, so it was easier for him to learn some more advanced techniques (or how to make it look like he knows some advanced techniques) than it would be for a non-drummer. Please don’t get me started on how some of the tracks sound more like a midi device, rather than an actual band. That is a topic for another day.
Death by rushing. I find it rather funny that a film where one of the most quotable lines is “are you rushing or are you dragging” happens to do both. The ending is rushed. In the last 30 minutes, something happens between Fletcher and Andrew that causes a rift, spurred on by the one time we actually see some emotion from the former that isn’t pure rage and anger. It would have been nice to get a little bit more about that situation and the fallout from it, rather than just a quick mention, then something happens, and then the next thing we know everything is hunky-dory. As far as the dragging part goes, well, any scene that doesn’t involve music in some way drags this film down. For instance, there are some scenes where Andrew watches movies with his dad and these just seem to grind the film to a halt, especially since his dad isn’t really much of a character in the film.
Supergirl. I love Melissa Benoist as Supergirl and have recently been watching her time on Glee. She is that attainable level of cuteness that leads you to believe she is approachable, even if you’re a hideously deformed “chud”. Jennifer Garner has a similar vibe. Benoist is also a really capable actress, but that isn’t shown in her scenes. Had this been a romantic comedy, her character would more than likely have been integral to the plot, but as it is, she is the token crush that is sure to be spurned for a sexier model. In this case, said model is Andrew’s desire to become great. As someone who dumped a good girl like this in college for a similar reason, this really hit me hard. Benoist’s character isn’t into music, especially jazz, but for some reason I can see her being totally supportive, maybe even pushing Andrew to even greater feats and heights, but alas, the poor girl is dumped and save for a couple of phone calls, we don’t see her again.
Final verdict:
What did I think of Whiplash? Again, I have a slight bias because of my relationship with the subject matter, but I can say that this was a highly enjoyable films. Fletcher is a quote machine. Teller’s work as Miles is worthy of recognition. The music is top notch, totally fitting the ensemble we are watching as far as level of difficulty. This is a drama, but not a heavy, slit your wrists and spiral into depression drama. For all the accolades this film received, after watching I feel as if it actually could have won more. Kudos to director Damien Chazelle, a man who has a real affection for jazz (as seen with this film and La La Land) for bringing his love and experiences with the genre to the public. I wish more would take their passion for certain subject matter and purvey that into their work. We would surely have better, more entertaining films, rather standard studio poisoned flicks. Anyway, do I recommend this? Yes, very highly! Whether you’re a fan of jazz or not, you’re sure to get a kick out of how well this film is made, as well as enjoy Simmons throwing chairs, stands, screaming obscenities, and other antics that no instructor would be able to get away (legally) today.
5 out of 5 stars
Mystery Man's Musings 