My rating is more of a 4.5
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𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑬𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒖𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 "𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒋𝒐𝒃"

𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒉 is a 2014 American psychological drama film written and directed by Damien Chazelle. It depicts the relationship between an ambitious jazz drummer (Andrew, portrayed by Miles Teller) and an abusive, perfectionist bandleader (Fletcher, portrayed by J. K. Simmons) at the fictional Shaffer Conservatory.

Long before his dreams of directing and creating films would be realized Chazelle had an extensive background as a musician much like Andrew; In high school he was in a competitive jazz band, and while his participation grew out of what started as a mere hobby, it wouldn't take long for responsibilities related to the prestigiousness of a performing to infect and subsequently invade every possible aspect of his life. It is typical for many films to depict Jazz as a genre paralleled with freedom and mystique, but Chazelle explores a flavor of it that is ruthless, punishing, and a source of anxiety that festers long after its
original point of influence has vacated the premises.

Almost cartoonishly abrasive, even 𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒉's notoriously tyrannical (would be, could be, super villain) antagonist is inspired by one instructor in particular that Chazelle recalls as being particularly intimidating. Admittingly, and thankfully, Fletcher's behaviors and demeanor are excessively dramatized relative to the figure he is originally designed after, and is described by Chazelle as a proxy of famously tyrannical band leaders in Jazz history who are known for throwing things at their own players as a means of motivating them amongst other controversial practices. It likely goes without saying that Fletcher is not meant to be liked. and is furthermore assumedly not meant to be admired or pedestalized with complacency. He is disagreeable - and that's putting it very likely – and he remains entirely cognizant to the impact his presence has both atmospherically and intimately: And as a direct consequence of this, the opportunities for manipulation that so easily lay at his feet.
What’s in a name, however?
Literally speaking, ‘fletcher’ describes a person who makes and sells arrows, and the implication of him being called this in addition to the plasticity of his medium - Mortals and music - is worth taking into deeper consideration. Although underhanded and revealed secondary to vindictive subplots, I would argue that what are present are hints of insecurity that are expertly disguised as an excess of confidence and in doing so evade immediate detection. What is so effortlessly forgotten is what Fletcher doesn't want - and that is to foster mediocrity or inadequacy - and while expressed in ways many would deem unacceptable…. with some much-needed projection it is more easily understood and tenaciously humanized

Appropriately juxtaposed with Fletcher's minatory existence is that of Andrew: who, while has a penchant for cruelty when it serves his interest, is leveled out by infrequent bouts with naivety and some much-needed humbling. Often self-absorbed to the point of exhausting his own resources, his desperate and slippery grass for greatness (and perhaps even approval) set the scenes for interactions that both vindicate and nullify his desires in 𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒉’s grander4 ( and yet intentionally minimalized) context.
More impressive though is the fact that Teller plays no second fiddle to Simmons in regards to preparing for the role of Andrew and holding his own. Teller had previous experience with the drums having started to play them since he was 15, but prior to this role he was only familiar with techniques more suitable for the Rock genre as though most closely associated with Jazz. The amount that materializes is deliberately exaggerated, but just know this: Teller’s contribution here was blistering in more ways than one as all of what is drummed on screen (with the exception of some “hand doubles”) is actually him, and the willingness to draw blood speaks to the uncompromising commitment to he has to his craft.
A little known #funfact is that 𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒉 was originally released as a short film, because this was the only way Chazelle thought potential investors would have be motivated to have any interest in funding a larger scale project.
This film - which also features J.K. Simmons and who Chazelle also considered for the role of Andrew (Johnny SImmons) - is about 18 minutes long and can be found online

For many 𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒉 is lacking nuance, and in some ways I could agree that it's straightforward nature readily invites disdain. What is additionally invited are debates: and not only about what it brings to the table, but what it expects audience members to take as a consequence of experiencing it. Underneath its reductionist confusions is a story that condemns the likelihood of swift self-gratification when “greatness” ( with this being so beautifully ambiguous) is the destination, and the the insight as it related to amount of suffering submitted to for a split-second of idolization is well worth holding on to In a society that is obsessed with first impressions and thrives off of unnecessarily divisive points of contention.

Cut-throat and at times problematic, 𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒉 is the antithesis to standard measures that is carried thorough the efforts of its laborious cast that are so easily taken for granted.
Inside of it is is no suggestion that any person deserves to toot their own horn -
But when they march to the beat of our own drums the possibilities are endless.

The name "Fletcher" kept bothering me during this movie--it's the name of the protagonist of "Mutiny on the Bounty" (a story about a merciless tyrant on the high seas); it's also the name the actress playing the heartless, sadistic nurse who provokes mutiny among the inmates in a mental institution ("One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"); finally, it's the in-your-face, ultimately unpardonable, decapitating fraud posing as a "tough love" teacher in "Whiplash." And it is Fletcher (J.K. Simmons)--not Andrew, the aspiring jazz drummer (Miles Teller)--who is at once most intoxicated and self-deluded by the iconic name and reputation of Buddy Rich.

The stories about "Traps, the Boy Wonder" havge, throughout my entire life, focused less on his undeniable talent than on things like his firing half the band minutes before a job because the musicians appeared with mis-matched socks. Then there are the notorious "Buddy tapes," recorded surreptitiously by band members on the bus. They reveal an egomaniacal martinet, capable of erupting with streams of withering profanity directed at some outmatched, hapless, underpaid young musician who is fired on the spot, then ejected from the bus to fend for himself in the hot Nevada desert.

At its heart, "Whiplash" is nothing more than a young man's rite-of-passage story with a Disney-esque ending. What separates it from other films are some brutal truths about instrumental music and jazz . 1. Andrew has no illusions about the price of being the best. Say goodbye to friends, marriage, relationships because in order to be like Bird or Buddy, you'll need to sacrifice your whole life to your ax, 24/7, no short cuts (so much for garage bands); 2. The competitive pressure is so intense and the chance of a single career-ending misstep is so great that either can lead to self-destruction on the way up and even after you become top drummer with the Jazz at Lincoln Center orchestra; 3. The final otherwise predictable scene (kid defies all the odds, comes back from abject failure and near death to perform the world's fastest drum solo) is perhaps the best-filmed / edited / mixed instrumental solo yet (a big plus when you consider that the general population is not merely clueless about jazz but instrumental music in general.

Those three things may not make it a great film, but it's exceptional simply by their inclusion. To get to them, the viewer will need to tolerate a whoppers such as these: 1. How many teachers today can get away with repeatedly throwing lethal objects--cymbals, chairs, etc.--at their students? And that failing, how many can practice tough love to the extent it drives kids to commit suicide? 2. Since when is music an athletic competition about who's the fastest? (It's hard to recall a single swinging moment in the movie. Where's the "chic" of the high-hat's off-beats? 3. Since when does being the fastest, or even the best, drummer, make you a mega-star (or even guarantee an income stream?). Instrumentalists, and jazz musicians in general, are not paid like rock stars.

The film begins to make more sense when you see the teacher--not Andrew--as the one who's suffering from delusions of grandeur because of Buddy Rich. It's not Buddy's reputation as a drummer but as an mean, foul-mouthed leader continually berating his musicians that's most relevant to the story (for those of us who know the score). But Buddy did not adopt that persona until late in his career, when he began traveling with his own band of young kids half his age. Most were clueless about Buddy's accomplishments (star of the annual Jazz at the Philharmonic series; house drummer at Verve records for a host of jazz greats). He knew he could not rely upon his distant reputation as a drummer to get the respect that was his due: instead, he chose to become their worst nightmare, terrorizing them in return for their fearful serious regard. His tough-talking ways were as much about his own survival as "shaping up" his young troops.

The movie's Fletcher is a hard-nosed, nasty and mean, knucklehead who, as we see in the scene where the disgraced Fletcher is "reduced" to playing tepid piano in a jazz club, remains a captive of his own ego, rationalizing his narcissistic exhibitionism as for the good of promising students like Andrew (who's gullibiltiy at this point must be shared by the audience for the movie to work its formulaic "boy makes good" magic. Nevertheless, J.K. Simmons' Fletcher reveals, even during the expertly edited drum solo, that remains a one-dimensional character who, even after his disgrace and ejection from the musical conservatory, is a vindictive, resentful teacher, continually throwing off his coat to display a well-buffed hard body to go along with his megalomaniacal temperament. Had the script allowed him to undergo a transformation in his own views about music, teaching and learning, the film might have had not merely a believable character (I've known my own share of Fletchers in the music education business) but a sympathetic one as well.

The film also could have used, in addition to the undeniably well-edited drum solo, more stretches of hard-swinging jazz. To its credit, it ends abruptly with the climactic drum solo, not lingering around for the usual sentimental fluff.

Wow. Whiplash is one of the most intense and heart-pounding movies I have seen in a long time. Which is surprising because this isn't an action movie, a thriller, or horror. Whiplash is a movie about drumming. And yet, my heart was still racing ten minutes after it ended. It tells the story of Andrew Neiman, a young jazz drummer who dreams of being one of the greats. At the beginning of the film he is starting his first year at the best music school in the country, where he becomes a student of Terrence Fletcher. Fletcher is a ruthless and cruel teacher hell-bent on perfection. Make the slightest mistake and he will verbally abuse you in ways you wouldn't imagine. He is the kind of man who believes that being kind or telling you that you did a good job will make you too comfortable, and to really make someone reach greatness they need to be pushed to their absolute limits. Most reasonable people would realize that he is going too far and find a different teacher, but Andrew wants to be a perfect drummer, he wants to be a legend. Because of this he continues to let Fletcher abuse him so that he can reach that greatness. The result is an intense movie about obsession. It's the kind of film that makes you unsure of how to feel. On the one hand, Andrew's dream is to be a legendary drummer, so we should admire his willingness to go so far to achieve that dream. On the other hand, he breaks up with his girlfriend, acts like a jerk to friends and family, and pushes himself so far physically and mentally that I started to question his sanity.

My younger brother loved Whiplash, but when I told him how unsure I was about Andrew's choices, he was surprised. He saw this as a simple story of someone achieving their dreams through any means necessary. It just goes to show how many different ways there are to interpret the story. The film is very well paced and there isn't a single unnecessary scene or moment, and at an hour and forty minutes it doesn't overstay it's welcome either. It all leads to an incredible ending. I won't spoil it, but Whiplash has not only the best ending of 2014, but one of the best movie endings I have seen in years. It could have easily been messed up too. Had there been one more scene showing what happened to the characters later, it would ruined the entire movie. Whiplash has a very strong and clear ending that doesn't tell the viewer how they should feel, something I really appreciated.

To compliment the great story are the incredible performances. The entire cast is great, but the stand-outs are Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons. It's difficult to find the right words to describe just how amazing these two performances are. Teller does fantastic as the ambitious drumming student Andrew. The character is great because his change over the course of the film feels very natural and believable. In the beginning, he is shy and introverted. After earning the spot as core drummer, he gains confidence. But as time goes on, he goes from confident and relatable to obsessed and angry. Teller does an amazing job of showing this transformation and I really look forward to seeing what roles he will play in the future. But of course, the performance everyone is going to remember is J.K. Simmons as Terrence Fletcher. Simmons did not hold back at all. He was willing to go absolutely crazy on camera. The scenes where he lashes out at his students make the scenes where he is seemingly calm and kind all the more unsettling. In one scene Andrew watches him talking with an old friend and kindly asking the man's daughter if she'd like to be in his band some day. Five minutes later he's yelling at his students and threatening to "demolish" a random person standing nearby. There were actually moments where he was showing a softer side to his personality and I honestly had no idea if he was faking it or not. Moments like those were what really made Simmons worthy of that Oscar he won.

It should come as no surprise that a film like this has great music. The all-jazz soundtrack is awesome and suits the movie really well. The drumming is also great of course. One drum solo in particular stands out as the best scene in the film. The sound mixing is great and I'm glad the Academy recognized this. Visually, Whiplash is stunning. The cinematography is great on it's own, but the film also has this interesting use of color palettes. Some scenes have a slight blue tint, others green, but most commonly orange. I liked this choice a lot as, paired with the jazz soundtrack, it added some style to the otherwise intense movie.

The movie came in a rather odd case. It was thinner than all my other blu-rays and had some kind of clip on the side. It's not bad or anything, I just thought it was strange. There appears to be quite a lot of bonus features to look at, including the original Whiplash short film. I will update the review once I have looked at them all.

Whiplash is just one more fantastic film to add to the growing list of great films from 2014. Overall, I'd say it is my second favorite of the year. It's an intense and heart-pounding story of obsession and how far a person is willing to go to achieve their dreams. The two lead performances are amazing and the ending is unforgettable. I definitely recommend giving Whiplash a try.

What a great movie! Wonderful acting and great storyline. Very edgy and gritty. You do not need to like the music or drum style to really enjoy this show. I have watched it many times and have added it to my personal movie collection. You will not find this show disappointing!

I love this movie so much that I'm so happy it's on here. The ending is perfect, it's not what I was expecting it was so much better than I could have ever imagined. I love the main character I love the teacher I love everything about this movie I really recommend watching it.

lol

saw some edits on tiktok and i was like damn that looks like a hella good movie so i watched it and it was hella good!!!

Awesome