Whiplash
Director: Damien Chazelle
Cast: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Melissa Benoist, and Paul Reiser.
Rated R for strong language including some sexual references.
I have been waiting nearly a year to see this thrill ride since it made some big noise at the Sundance Film Festival last year, and thankfully it was well worth the wait. With a sharp script and smart direction, newcomer Damien Chazelle crafts one of the more intense films of 2014 with some career defining performances from young Miles Teller and veteran J.K. Simmons.
Andrew (Teller) is a promising drummer enrolled at a prestigious music conservatory where he hopes to become one of the all-time great jazz drummers. He soon catches the attention of the school's most demanding and respected conductors, Terence Fletcher (Simmons). Once invited to his elite band, Fletcher will stop at nothing to push Andrew to his limits in order to realize his greatness or destroy it.
Wow. Who could imagine that a movie about a jazz drummer would be riddled with nearly unbearable tension? Whiplash excels on nearly every level. The acting is revelatory for both Teller and Simmons. The cinematography, combined with precise editing, helps create and maintain the beats of the film, particularly its gripping intensity. Bravo to writer-director Chazelle for taking his short film and expanding it into something of this caliber. I'll be keeping my eye on him.
I was amazed at how much Miles Teller gives in this role; it's obvious to anyone who sees the film. Simmons storms into every scene he's in with a startling commanding presence. His intensity and ferocity would rival any drill sergeant I've seen in film, including R. Lee Ermey's Sgt. Hartman from Full Metal Jacket. I can't think of one other supporting role from 2014 that stands up to what Simmons does here. The Supporting Actor Oscar is his to lose in my opinion. Regardless of the film's award potential, it certainly is one of the most exciting films of 2014.
RATING: A
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