Whiplash (2014)

Whiplash (R)

"Not my TEMPO! &$#!"

A young man enrolled in one of the most prestigious New York music Conservatories gets a chance to play in the advanced Jazz Studio Band where he runs afoul of the classes passionate yet profane director whose manic drive for perfection leads his students towards obsession and revenge in Director Damien Chazelle's semi-autobiographical account of competitive musicianship on the edge.

J.K Simmons of Spider-Man fame bellows through the film as Fletcher, the driven teacher who uses intimidation and physical abuse to find the next Buddy Riches.  His student is the lead, Miles Teller as the drummer who is so intent on hitting it big on the drums that he breaks up with his new girlfriend and alienates his family for more blistering practice time.  The staccato editing compliments the beautifully dark photography, the music is complimented by a fantastic live sound to the audio that moves about the room.  The story is as straight as a drum stick, but it keeps your palms sweaty with an incredible sense of anxiety and dread that Simmon's Fletcher emanates past  the screen into your psyche.  Tension mounts and mounts, releases then mounts again as the ebb and flow of their mutual percussive obsession rattles on, leading to one of the best endings to a film in years.  Revenge and rimshots, passions and profanity, Whiplash lives up to it's name and reputation with gonzo repetition making it one of 2014's best films.  It's all the more delightful for it's low budget brilliance, like a genius drum solo on a street corner with a plastic bucket.

8.5 Don't Forget your Sticks out of 10 (GREAT)