The path down passion and obsession and what divides them

★★★★ out of ★★★★

Whiplash (2014)

Runtime: 106 minutes

MPAA: Rated R for strong language including some sexual references.

Fletcher (right) pushing Neiman (left) to his limits, demanding him to play faster.

In the last ten minutes of the film, the camera zooms into the main character's father (Paul Reiser), his face showing that he has been petrified of the monster his son has become, as his son plays the thrilling drum solo 'Caravan'.

Whiplash is about a 19-year-old drummer named Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller), who aspires to be the next great musician. He enrolls into Shaffer Conservatory, one of the most respected music schools in the country, and is mentored by an abusive music teacher named Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), whose sadistic and unconventional methods, fueled by Neiman's determination and persistence, push Neiman to his limits.

Director/writer Damien Chazelle has produced such a compelling and captivating drama that never fails to entertain me (even if I were to re-watch it), is so terrifyingly tense that it kept me on the edge of the seat the whole time, and its plot was relatively challenging to predict. It's not only one of the best films of 2014, but may be the greatest movie ever made about drums.

The lead performances, Teller and Simmons, do an absolutely fantastic job, and make a wonderful duo. Along with a well-written script, the characters they portray on-screen are given an opportunity to truly convey their emotions and show the audience their nature of character.

From a few reviews that I have read, musicians stated that Whiplash was perceiving jazz music wrongly, as characters like Fletcher wouldn't exist, and if in the possibility that they do exist, the person would be arrested. The whole idea of Whiplash isn't about jazz music or the drumming; it's about a person giving in to obsession and madness to strive towards a goal, in this case Neiman wants to be the next Charlie Parker. We see how Neiman gradually becomes more obsessed that he practises until he bleeds profusely. Along with that, Neiman sacrifices and neglects his relationship with his friends and family, and while no matter the circumstance, as in whether he gets expelled from the conservatory or gets into a car crash, he doesn't give up in achieving his dream.

Simmons' character as an abusive music teacher also propels Neiman into achieving his goal and producing his first next Charlie Parker. As we see in a later part of the film, the reason why Fletcher uses insults against Neiman and his fellow drummers even when it's not needed is to push them to try even harder, push them to their max potential, because the two words 'good job' can restrict a person's limits. Fletcher also adds an example on how Jo Jones threw a cymbal over Charlie Parker's head, and that motivated Charlie Parker to play to his full potential, although Fletcher twisted the story. In layman terms, if you excelled in your mathematics examination and you were praised with 'good job', wouldn't you just stop trying harder and enjoy the rewards?

The last ten minutes of the film is an absolute blast and one of the most expertly crafted endings ever that use a simple tool of communication - music. Some view it as delightful as Neiman finally achieving his dreams and gains Fletcher's respect, whereas some people view it as depressing, as Neiman succumbs to his obsession that he would suffer the same fate as Charlie Parker, falling into depression and committing suicide at a young age, instead of living to 80 or 90.

The cinematography and editing are also top-notch. Certain shots like Fletcher entering the room at 9 AM sharp or Neiman's plasters falling off really contribute to this tense atmosphere the viewer is experiencing. At falsely calm moments, there are more spaced out shots with lesser edits. As we see Fletcher building up his mountain of rage, the number of cuts increases, and more and more tension builds up for the viewer.

As the movie ended, I, besides being totally blasted from it, started questioning myself. If I was in Neiman's shoes, filled with determination and not the slightest thought of giving up, after many painful and frequent sacrifices, what would there be to achieve in the end? After achieving a goal and striving to be perfectionist, chasing goal after goal, what was the whole point of it? What would be the benefits be?

Trailer: