Monday, November 17, 2014

Whiplash

“There are no two words in the English language more harmful than Good Job.”
These are words of discouragement from Terence Fletcher – renowned conductor, accomplished musician, teacher from Hell. By the time Fletcher (J.K. Simmons) utters this phrase in the thrilling new film, Whiplash, we have a full understanding of who he is: a maniacal tyrant who pushes his students at the Juilliard-like Shaffer Conservatory to the brink of emotional collapse. The harder, longer and louder he berates his pupils, the easier it will be to weed them out. If they manage to survive his cruel tutelage, then Fletcher knows he will have crafted a truly great musician.

Pain, as it were, is Terence Fletcher’s game. We meet him in the first scene of the movie, when he notices a talented jazz drummer named Andrew (Miles Teller) practicing his routine in private. Fletcher gives Andrew a shot at joining his demanding class, and so begins Andrew’s stint in Hell. From that first moment we meet Fletcher, we know to fear him. His consistently dark wardrobe and purposeful, swift movements make him instantly dangerous. He’s the kind of guy who silences a room five seconds before he even enters it. Much of this is thanks to Simmons’ fearless approach to the character. Anyone who has seen HBO’s Oz is aware of Simmons’ ability to freeze a room, but if you missed that show, you likely only know Simmons as a wiseass and humane funnyman from various films. Terence Fletcher is without question Simmons’ most accomplished film work to date. He plays the character as effortlessly charming, impossibly commanding, and unquestionably mad. Not mad as in simply angry (which, of course, he is), mad as in teetering on the brink of fucking madness. It’s destined to be one of the finest performances of the year. You’ll absolutely love to hate this man.
Miles Teller is a talented young actor who has given strong performances in a number of films, most notably Rabbit Hole and The Spectacular Now. Teller, who had prior training as a drummer, practiced rigorously for the role of Andrew, and the technical dedication has clearly paid off. The musical scenes in this film are authentic and sensational. They are alive in a way that few modern musical set pieces are. Teller literally put his blood, sweat and tears into this performance, and whether Andrew is pounding on the drums or arguing at the dinner table, Teller has officially announced that he’s a young actor who’s hungry for challenging roles.

The way in which Whiplash made it to the big screen should be studied and practiced by every young filmmaker. The film’s writer/director, Damien Chazelle, wrote the script for Whiplash, which was inducted into the Black List (a list of the best unproduced film scripts) in 2012. The following year, he made a short film based on the material, which got into Sundance and allowed him to secure financing for a feature-length version of his script. This past January, he took the full-length Whiplash to Sundance, where it won top honors. In today’s market, that’s a damn crafty way to get your movie made. Even though his script was placed on the most prestigious screenplay list in the business, Chazelle took control and kept working to achieve his final goal. I so respect the notion of a young filmmaker creating, as opposed to waiting.
Whiplash is Chazelle’s first feature, but you certainly can’t tell by watching the film. The movie’s swift cinematography and brazen editing deserve endless praise. The film’s look gracefully and consistently changes between cold detachment and warm intimacy, a juxtaposition that proves to be utterly compelling. Editor Tom Cross, clearly taking cues from Martin Scorsese’s longtime editor, Thelma Schoonmaker, cuts the film into a frenzy. With each frantic montage, I feared the movie was on the verge of slipping away. But it never did. Although the film’s tempo rarely rests, the tone of the picture is always in full control.

You’ll have to forgive me. I haven’t done a very thorough job of describing the film’s plot, mostly because I’m more interested in explaining why I think a movie is technically good as opposed to what a movie is about. Chazelle has said that when he wrote Whiplash, he followed the same structure of an inspiring-teacher film, except in his movie, the teacher was a complete monster. But because Chazelle and Simmons created said monster, they inadvertently made a film that all but demolishes the clichés of its genre. Whiplash is a thrilling and refreshing character study of what happens when natural genius is tortured to the edge of extinction. I first saw the movie weeks ago, and I haven’t been able to get the tapping of its flawless final scene out of my head since. A-


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30 comments:

  1. JK Simmons gives his best performance since Vern Schillinger here. Miles Teller also put himself on my radar as an actor of serious talent.

    The final act was some of the most intense cinema I saw all year.

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    1. This year has been a really good one as far as debut films go. Jeremy Saulnier's Blue Ruin, Justin Simien's Dear White People and now Damien Chazelle's Whiplash. It's good to know that there are some ferocious talents getting noticed.

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    2. Fully agree with both comments. Insane dedication from both actors. I really hope Simmons has a shot at the Oscar for his work here. And I agree, we've had some stunning debut films this year. Blue Ruin will always be special for me, because it was shot near where I grew up and they made it for just $500,000, which is nothing.

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  2. Oh, I'm so excited for this. I really like Miles Teller, and it's about time someone gave J.K. Simmons a meaty role that he could completely and totally own. His face in your first shot here is absolutely terrifying. Great review!

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    1. He's SO. INTENSE. in this movie. Really committed work. Thanks so much for the comment, glad to see they're working again :)

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  3. I have the tickets to see it on the 30th so I am literally itching to see it and well, your review doesn't really scratch that itch at all! Also, it helps that I have developed a slight crush on Miles Teller as well.. :D

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    1. I like to tease the itch with my reviews, not fully scratch haha. But really, I'm far more interested in piquing your curiosity with a review, rather than give everything away, you know? Hope you're able to see this one soon!

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    2. It was awesome! Man, now I have a new itch and it's rewatching this as soon as possible! :D

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    3. So cool! I saw it again last weekend and now I just want to see it AGAIN. I mean, that ending... holy hell.

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  4. So happy you enjoyed this one! I got around to this one a few weeks back as well and was very impressed with it. Maybe it's just me but I find very few things as invigorating as watching a drummer play his (or her) instrument - so watching Teller just play through these pieces just put the biggest grin on my face for the majority of the movie (and knowing that he played something like 80-90% of the actual drumming is even more impressive). I wasn't sure what to think of him since he did stuff like Divergent or That Awkward Moment after doing more impressive stuff like the films you mentioned above, but this has re-established my faith in him.

    Mr. Simmons, your Oscar is waiting for you! (Oh My God, J.K. fucking killed it here!)

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    1. I get what you mean - when a musician nails it, it can be so goddamn invigorating. I actually had no idea that Teller had prior drumming experience, but it really showed here. He carried those scenes so well. And Mr. Simmons, God. Damn. what a powerhouse.

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  5. I already wrote about this on Twitter. It's nuts that this is a film by a first time director. As you said, the control in this never goes away even when you think it will, I suppose like the drumming. Simmons is fantastic! I am one of those people who kind of just think of him as Juno's dad but woahhhhhhh!! And the last scene, man. I don't know if I have ever watched a scene that has moved every atom in my body like that. Like I felt like jumping on a trampoline or going on a crazy roller coaster after that. I needed to be doing something 'cuz it made me feel frenzied. So good, so so good. The whole movie is great too but that last scene, for me, is something else.

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    1. It really was exceptional. And it was so wise of Chazelle to just BAM and cut right out. No tender scene of recollection or reconnection or understanding, just boom and we're done. If you think about it, that's actually pretty rare for movies today. The "marketable" instinct is to tidy everything up before the credits roll. Not here, and I loved the movie for it.

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  6. I wanna see this just because of J.K. Simmons and I like films about drummers. Just to hear the beat of those drums. Sometimes, those beats can go into your head but if they're hard enough. It can go into your body. I had that experience when I went to see NIN for the first time in 2006. Best show ever. Josh Freese hits like a fucking hammer and it felt fucking good.

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    1. I think you'll really like this one. Simmons is fucking fearless and the drumming is superb. Great flick through and through.

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  7. Just watched it today. Absolutely loved it! It really shows how a simple pounding on drums can create literal and physical bloodshed. Plus, need I explain J.K. Simmons' BRILLIANT performance?

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    1. Hell yeah man, so glad you liked it. Simmons was on another level in this flick. So damn powerful.

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  8. To Quote Dr. Chilton, "He's a monster". Both actors are terrific.

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  9. I really enjoyed this film, and I appreciate you including all of that background info on it. I didn't realize the script had been waiting a couple years to really get made into a film! I agree that this is Simmons best work to date, and I hope both actors get some credit come awards season. Great review, Alex!

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    1. Thanks Kristin! I thought the background of this film was so inspiring. You have to do whatever it takes to get your work out there, you know? I really hope Simmons sees some awards attention as well. So damn good.

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  10. Still my favourite film of the year! Chazelle's technique is superb throughout, nuts that it's only his second (?) feature.

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    1. Crazy good film. Chazelle is such a confident filmmaker, I really hope he's recognized come awards time.

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  11. I love how you didn't write this much about the plot because right now literally all that I know about this movie is that it has drums and Simmons in it. It looks really intense, can't wait to see it!

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    1. I saw this flick again a few days ago, and holy shit, it's just so good. The thrill of it's performances won't hold up when played from crappy iMac speakers, but the movie is fantastic.

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    1. I'll have it up tomorrow! Been a tough one to write about, and I got crazy busy with life and Mike Nichols.

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  13. Oh, I'm dying to see this one! So glad to read more praise for Teller and Simmons. I actually think this has a good chance of getting a Best Picture nomination.

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    1. Honestly man, this might be my second favorite film of the year, I absolutely loved it.

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