NYFF 2014 WhiplashPosted by Wilson Morales
Certainly to be considered among the year’s best films and making its wave through the festival circuit before opening in theaters is Damien Chazelle’s stunning and explosive drama, Whiplash. Highlighted by a mesmerizing performance by J. K. Simmons with Miles Teller showing his best work thus far, this cat-and-mouse game between teacher and student is one for the ages.
Instead of setting this film on a sports field or boot camp, we have a music conservatory where Andrew Neiman (Teller) is a freshman hoping to be noticed by his well-known conductor Terence Fletcher (Simmons) so that he could advanced and be placed is his hard-to-get-in ensemble. A compulsive perfectionist who follows the skills of Buddy Rich, Andrew wants nothing but to excel and be the best in class. Eventually, Fletcher invites him to join the band at the expense of another classmate losing their spot in the rotation.
As much as he thinks all is well, pleasing Fletcher is not the easiest thing to. Beaten mentally and at times physically (with a few slaps and a thrown chair), Andrew is driven to keep practicing day and night until his hands literally starts bursting with blood. Alienating his father (Paul Reiser) as well as his new girlfriend (Melissa Benoist) becomes a sacrifice until it gets worse. When things really spiral out of control, the final confrontation between teacher and student will determine who has the most to outshine the other.
What’s astonishing about Whiplash is how sports related this film is. Whether it’s a coach or a drill sergeant, the need to be great at one’s skill can be overwhelming. Simmons has been a fine character actor over the years on television and on the big screen, but with his performance here, it was just as terrifying and magnetic as R. Lee Ermey in Full Metal Jacket. With both of these characters, the level of emotional abuse is beyond words, and yet each can be seen as a damaged soul. It’s not as one note as you may think. As a leader in their field hired to bring out the best in their subjects, they believe their method is what separates the great ones from the underachievers, and Simmons does a great job at conveying that logic. With Teller, he carried as much as he could without overdoing it and showed that at a young age, he has some range as an actor and can do more if given the opportunity.
Chazelle’s script is near perfect with dialogue, performances and setting. In the words from ‘Rocky Balboa,’ “It ain’t about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward.” With ‘Whiplash,’ the performances by Teller and Simmons is like a boxing match where both are so good, you almost wish for a draw.
Whiplash hits theaters on Oct. 10.
