Photo courtesy Blumhouse Productions
Written by Declan Powers
Whiplash is unarguably one of the best, if not THE best, films of 2014, and was a perfect capstone to end it. But it is so much more than that.
Whiplash is one of the greatest movies of all time. There isn’t a single thing wrong in this movie, be it acting, lighting, or execution. The entire film is immaculate from beginning to end.
Whiplash tells the story of a somewhat socially awkward music student with a gift and insane passion for drumming in a jazz band. Eventually, he is noticed by a professor who is also one of the leading instructors in the world. The premise revolves around him competing to be in his crew, and he goes through hell during the whole process. But even with violence, serious verbal abuse and parental/relationship problems, the kid continues to persist towards his dream.
J.K. Simmons plays the instructor, and gives arguably the greatest performance of his career. His character has so many dimensions that you forget it’s an actor playing him. There is never a point where you feel that he does not care about his students, but the way he pushes them to do more than just what is expected of them can be harsh and furiously humiliating to the point where we have to constantly question his morals and intentions, and whether the ends of his methodology justify the means. You’re both enraptured by his blunt honesty and hate him for it, and the dichotomy never swings too far in one direction. Just like jazz music, the character and Simmons’ performance is raw and oft unpredictable, exactly the way it should be. The same can be said for the camerawork and overall direction. It is irrefutable that Simmons gives an Oscar-worthy performance without that being his incentive. Unlike the method acting that Daniel Day-Lewis did for Lincoln, Simmons has merely perfected his craft humbly and gracefully, his only motivation being to present a three-dimensional and realistic character.
You don’t have to be a music scholar, play music, or even enjoy music to like this film. The drumming is not the theme, it merely represents it: drive and the absolute unwillingness to surrender your ambitions. The story is universally relatable whether you enjoy jazz music or not. The film is ferocious and intense without losing a sense of humor, albeit dark at times. Simmons’ rants and diatribes are degrading but laced with hilarity even though he’s scolding his students while doing it.
But best of all is the fact that the film is incredibly grounded; nothing takes place within the story that could not take place in real life. That being said, the plot is remarkably chaotic and unpredictable while still having a strong character arc and overall theme and tone. It may be cliché to say this, but the last 15 minutes will have you on the edge of your seat.
While the winter of 2014 has come to a close, there are still a few places where the film can be seen. If you need to go to an art house theater or small chain that screens independent cinema, do it. And if you can’t do that, then watch it on DVD or Blu-Ray. You don’t want to miss this one.
Final Grade: A+
