Whiplash Movie Review

Brace yourselves for yet another review describing just how amazing Whiplash is! Here we go...

All I've been doing recently is salivating over great movies in my reviews. Whiplash, directed by Damien Chazelle, was a movie I have been waiting impatiently for a few weeks now. After sitting down and watching this movie one thought popped straight into my head about halfway through the movie: "this is f***ing amazing!".

Whiplash is one of my absolute favourite movies in a year where I can't even count the number of really awesome films on 2 hands. The film follows Andrew, played by Miles Teller, is a drummer with very high aspirations and talent. I have to admit that Miles Teller is an actor that I've taken a long time to warm to. However, after his stunning portrayal of Andrew in this movie, a drummer who will push himself beyond his physical boundaries so he can become the next "big thing" in the world of jazz music, I've started to view him as a seriously good actor. It's Andrew's sheer passion and determination which works as Whiplash's engine and also what makes it so relatable. We've all at some moment in our lives pushed ourselves mentally beyond what we're capable of just because we want something so badly.

I've mentioned previously that I love movies which make you ask yourself intrinsic questions relevant to the film, and despite being mesmerised for the entire experience, Whiplash still gave me those questions to think about as the plot thickened and the intensity increased. The tension in this movie at times escalates to a level where it is almost unbearable. It doesn't require a big action set piece to bring the movie to an emotionally charged conclusion, it simmers for quite a while before reaching boiling point in what was the most engrossing finale to a film I've seen all year.

Miles Teller is fantastic but JK Simmons steals the film as Fletcher, Andrew's teacher. His performance is surely worthy of a Best Supporting Actor win at the Oscar's. Fletcher is a huge dick, obviously. He pushes his students way beyond the level that's expected of them to the point where a physical and psychological battle started waging between the 2 main characters, which is ultimately the source of the tension.

Simple in it's premise and raw in it's execution, Whiplash is for sure in my top 3 films of 2014 simply because of how emotionally engrossing and naturally intense it turned out to be. The tension between Andrew and Fletcher is brilliant because the acting is top calibre, the script is sharp and you understand totally both sides of the argument. While Fletcher may be out of order with his teaching methods and downright rude with his insults (which were magnificent by the way), he still gets the results. This begs the question: was it really worth it? At the end of the day, despite dealing with insane torment and grief, Andrew still reached the level Fletcher wanted him to meet.

Chazelle directs this film with quick-fire editing and slow-burning tension which reaches levels some movies could only dream about reaching. The 2 performances were out of control, it was funny at times, it was emotionally involving, it was provocative, it never had a dull moment. I can't fault Whiplash, it's astoundingly brilliant. Not one to be missed:


Rating - A+

My Top 10 Best Movies of 2014 list is coming very soon and Whiplash will feature prominently on that list.

Thanks for reading,
Matt