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Whiplash Review (1 Viewer)

Yavin

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First-time writer/director Damien Chazelle's Whiplash has been getting a lot of buzz from the festival circuit over the past months, and now it's finally receiving a wide release.

The story centers on Andrew Neyman (Miles Teller), a student at New York's Shaffer Conservatory of Music, who's trying to realize his dream of being "one of the greats". Being recognized by Shaffer's most prominent -- and harsh -- music professors, Terrence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons) would go a long way in helping Andrew realize that goal. But is he up for the challenge?

A snippet from my theatrical review:
You don't have to be a jazz aficionado to get swept up in the story. Just about anyone who's ever sacrificed something in pursuit of a goal will easily identify with Andrew and his struggles. But the character does take things to unusual (even borderline cartoonish) extremes: practicing his drumming till his hands are raw and bloody and sabotaging his own relationship with his girlfriend (Melissa Benoist) because he anticipates she'll hold him back. At one point, he even insists on playing, in spite of sustaining serious injuries, with disastrous results.Still, Teller's performance is nothing short of engrossing, both in straightforward scenes where he's simply engaging other actors in conversation, but especially when he contorts his face in agony, sweat dripping off his brow, as he tries his hardest to be Shaffer's answer to the Energizer Bunny. The actor also has a natural on-screen rapport with Paul Reiser, who plays his supportive father, a failed writer (turned high school English teacher) who has trouble comprehending why his son would put himself through such torture.However, the film wouldn't be nearly half as interesting without Simmons, filling a role that often seems to exist purely to antagonize Andrew, viciously tearing him down whenever he manages to claim a small victory. In another actor's hands, Fletcher could easily have devolved into a caricature, but Simmons has a knack for this type of performance. He machine-guns his way through line after line of sarcastically scathing dialog, commanding the audience's full attention every time he strides on-screen, and it's his interplay with Teller that gives the film its mesmerizing rhythm.
4 out of 5.
 

Wayne_j

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I just got back from seeing this, my favorite film of the year to date.
 

Tino

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My friend who is a screenwriter also said its his favorite film of the year and doubts any other film will replace it. Looking forward to seeing it myself.
 

mattCR

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JK Simmons deserves the win he received last night. His performance in that role is just.. menacing. It's the kind of role that you just say: wow. He's such a bad guy, but a terrible bad guy in it is a bad guy you can imagine actually exists.. and you probably know. Some incredible performances in this.
 

Mark Booth

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I saw 'Whiplash' yesterday. I enjoyed it, and I'd call it a good film. But I wouldn't call it a great film. Certainly not in my top 10 films of 2014.


Due to the wide diversity of our life experiences, we all have different tastes and preferences. This, of course, carries over to movies. We might really like a film that someone else hates. And I think this is especially true for a movie like 'Whiplash'. The film didn't "speak" to me the way it might speak to others. It probably doesn't help that I'm not that much of a jazz fan. But I also couldn't identify with the mental illnesses that characters are clearly depicted to be suffering from in the film. Perhaps those who've had life experiences more along the lines of the characters in the film can better identify with it?


The Booth Bijou gives 'Whiplash' 3.5 out of 5 stars.


Mark
 

Hanson

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Whiplash is one of my favorite films of the year and my favorite of the Best Picture nominees I've seen. While Simmons is getting due motice for his electric performance, I can't say enough about Miles Teller, who is one of the best young actors working today. Teller was also amazing in The Spectacular Now (my favorite movie of 2013) and is turning into his generation's version of John Cusack. Simmons was great and deserves all the accolades and awards. But Teller carried the movie. The film is also an impressive feature debut for writer/director Damien Chazelle.
 

Tino

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Loved it from beginning to end and also my favorite of the BP nominees I've seen so far( Selma and Birdman left). Electrifying performances, especially from soon to be Oscar winner JK Simmons. Towers over the overrated Boyhood imo and hope it pulls an upset on Oscar night.

**** out of ****. Tremendous entertainment.
 

bujaki

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I liked JK Simmons in this movie, although it reminded me of his performance in the TV series OZ (neo-Nazi, brutal, rapist of male bodies in OZ instead of male souls in Whiplash, etc.). I rather enjoyed his performance much more in Juno, where, as the father, he played such a different role. Miles Teller deserves recognition as well. The more I think about his performance, the more I like it.

As for Whiplash, well, it builds to a climax that I've seen in many other films (you know, underdog/topdog struggle). It's a good, well-crafted, edited film with many virtues, but not for the ages. IMO.
 

Colin Jacobson

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This was the last of the BP noms I needed to see - and it's probably the best. Fairly complex character tale with interesting twists.


Dunno I'd call it a great movie, but I don't think any of this year's BP noms were genuinely great. At the very least, it's really good, though. It's sort of "Officer and a Gentleman" with drums, but it's more complicated and less hackneyed than that one.


Solid movie. Don't think it'll win BP but hope it does!
 

Tino

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Oh I'd call it great. Along with Birdman they are the only two that I thought were. The rest were very good to good to downright dull.
 

bujaki

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From the moment the Miles Teller character walks into the place where his erstwhile teacher is playing the piano, the plot loses all credibility. I don't want to go into spoilers. Just think logically: Miles and teacher haven't seen each other in ages. Teacher invites Miles to play with a group the following weekend (no rehearsals, no sheet music). Trouble ensues (how could it have been planned?). Final moment of triumph with a change of heart in one of the characters that I find hard to stomach.

The final act of the movie may build to an exciting climax (and it does), but it fails as believable drama. Up to that moment, the movie had been good enough, but not a film for the ages, imo.

Birdman, on the other hand, succeeds on every level.
 

Tino

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Gotta disagree with you there Bujaki. I found the third act to be one of the best I've seen in a long time and completely believable. Without getting into spoilers , Tellers character was feeling vulnerable/guilty at that point and his acceptance of that offer at that time was understandable, as was Simmons end revelation. I thought it was brilliant so let's agree to disagree.
 

Hanson

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I think you missed something. The ending made perfect sense.
 

bujaki

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Tino, of course, let's agree to disagree. The ending is thrilling, the last shot is perfect. Miles showed a lot of guts coming back and showing his true mettle and talent. I'll just posit one question: What if Miles had not walked into the place where the teacher was playing? How would the teacher ever had had the opportunity to humiliate Miles? These are the bits that bother me. And a sadist will always be a sadist; or can he change his character in five minutes?

A friend of mine said that watching JK Simmons was like watching John Houseman in THE PAPER CHASE, with a lot of TV's OZ thrown in. It's a good performance, but I wouldn't give him an Oscar (although he'll get it).

By the way, in case you wonder, I really liked the movie; I just have issues with it, as you and I have with many of the other nominees.
 

TravisR

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bujaki said:
I'll just posit one question: What if Miles had not walked into the place where the teacher was playing? How would the teacher ever had had the opportunity to humiliate Miles? These are the bits that bother me. And a sadist will always be a sadist; or can he change his character in five minutes?
I think those are fair questions to ask but my answers are that

(I'll go to spoilers but why the heck is anyone reading this thread if they haven't seen the movie? :) )
if Andrew hadn't gone into the bar, Fletcher wouldn't have had the opportunity to burn him. He just took advantage of the chance meeting. And I wouldn't say that he changed from being sadistic as much as he LOVES music and seeing Andrew's musical talent superseded his cruelty and desire for revenge.
 

steve jaros

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Rats! This film had a very short run in Baton Rouge, and the last day to see it was yesterday and it was showing only at 2:20 PM. Made an executive decision to miss it and catch it later on Netflix or somesuch, but after reading these reviews I regret it! Sounds like an excellent film, all things considered.


I was on a long vacation for much of January and had lots of catching up to do. Saw 11 movies since January 22, but this slipped through the net. Oh well, can't see them all, LOL.
 

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