How far are we willing to go to realize our dreams both physically and mentally? That is at the heart of the film’s conflict with the character of Andrew Neyman (Miles Teller) pursuing a passion to become legend within drummers for Jazz through the tutelage of renowned yet strict composer Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons) within the musical drama Whiplash by director Damien Chazelle in his full feature version of his critically praised short from Sundance. This is a classic tale of the pursuit of greatness told within the environment of music and the harsh, unforgiving nature of separating musicians from the amateurs as that is a reoccurring theme throughout the struggles of Neyman’s journey to become a famous drummer in the Jazz scene. However, his teacher Fletcher is ill tempered and abusive from physical contact to verbal attacks pushing his musicians to the edge so they can find that spark that brings out the music that will be remembered and not a forgettable, catchy tune everyone forgets in time. The film excels in its exquisite contrast of light and dark through the cinematography as well as the exceptional stunning sound design that is a major part of the story along with the main characters at odds with each other. Each shot feels like they externalize the pain of Neyman hurting himself to perfect a solo or movement in a drum line as well as Flecther’s truly explosive anger and ego towards imperfections which J.K. Simmons embodies perfectly and is truly a performance to remember with his dedicated attitude towards his passion in Jazz through his philosophical dialogue and energetic actions. The other standout performance is Miles Teller who plays Neyman in a very subdued, vulnerable demeanor that makes the viewer sympathize with his struggles for perfection through sacrifice and devotion to Jazz playing as a perfect folly for Simmons’ more energized, remarkably prominent performance. The real payoff is the ten minute musical showdown for the finale which combines the rapid firing editing, close and personal cinematography, and the rhythmic movement of the sound design to visualize the struggle of power between the student and mentor that is captivating and fierce in its delivery. The film does stagger in a few spots that drag it down particularly with the girlfriend of Neyman who is just a bullet point in the story that could have been cut completely. There are times when the berating of Neyman from Fletcher can be too exaggerated and cartoonish to the point of ridiculousness from the middle act’s repetitions of these character arcs. However, Chazelle maintains the story’s focus through the expertly rhythmic style to the visuals and audio made prominent by the tremendous performances from the main players that makes this drama one to remember and relate to. We suffer to make our dreams come true and that’s what makes this film one to watch for anyone who has love for the arts, music, and media forms.
Posted on: Sun, 19 Oct 2014 01:19:58 +0000
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