Whiplash

"The road to greatness can take you to the edge."

Drama Oct 10, 2014 1h 46m R English

Director: Damien Chazelle

Cast: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Paul Reiser, Melissa Benoist

4.8/5

IMDB 8.5

Synopsis

A promising young drummer enrolls at a cut-throat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor who will stop at nothing to realize a student's potential.

Our Review

Damien Chazelle's second feature film is a psychological drama disguised as a music movie. The question it asks is provocative: does greatness require cruelty?

Two Performances for the Ages

Miles Teller is excellent as ambitious jazz drummer Andrew Neiman, but J.K. Simmons (who won the Oscar) is extraordinary as conductor Terence Fletcher. Fletcher's verbal abuse is designed to find the next Charlie Parker - but at what cost?

The climactic drum performance is one of the most exhilarating sequences in 21st century cinema. You're not sure if what you're witnessing is triumph or tragedy.

Verdict

Chazelle announces himself as a major directorial voice. A film that makes you question the nature of mentorship, ambition, and the price of artistic greatness.