Whiplash - 4.5/5
A promising young drummer enrolls at a cutthroat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor who will stop at nothing to realize a student's potential.
I've heard really great things about this film, nothing but praise pretty much, and that got me worried that it was just going to be one of those over-hyped films that would end up disappointing me, fortunately it was deserving of all it's praise. It was one of the best films I've seen this year.
The premise may not sound too interesting to some people, but it's about more than just drumming. It's about the lengths a person would go to become the best at their craft. How much would you sacrifice? How far are you willing to go? I've always been fascinated at the lengths some of the great artists go to to hone their craft, so this was particularly interesting for me, but beyond that it was a very well made film with every aspect done masterfully.
The acting by Miles Teller (drummer) and J.K. Simmons (Instructor) was fantastic, Simmons shining more so due to a meatier part. His portrayal of the foul mouthed, machiavellian music instructor is hard to watch at times as he insults and bullies his students in a creative fashion, but you can't look away, you want to see more (think Lee Ermey from Full Metal Jacket, but teaching Jazz in New York).
Beyond the theme of the film, it's essentially about the unhealthy relationship between these two, and the shifting power plays. It makes for some really tense scenes and keeps you glued to the screen, not knowing what might happen next, which is refreshing.
I could go on and on about this film, but I'll leave it at that, got to leave some surprises for you guys. Check it out if you can.
