Andrew Neiman is studying to become a drummer at the Shaffer Conservatory. He manages to impress the strict conductor Fletcher who recruits him in his Studio Band, but it soon turns out that Fletcher is extremely hostile and angry when the students make even the slightest omission while performing music. Still, they manage to win a jazz competition, Andrew is promoted to the core drummer. However, Fletcher constantly replaces the drummer with Tanner and Connolly, so Andrew has to practice even more to earn his place. Andrew even breaks up with his girlfriend to focus on practicing. When Andrew is late after having a car crash and Fletcher fires him during another competition, Andrew assaults him. Fletcher is fired for his abusive behavior. Andrew teams up with Fletcher again for a Jazz festival. Fletcher double crosses him and conducts a song Andrew doesn't know. Andrew though manages to perform his own song on stage.
Writer and director Damien Chazelle stayed faithful to his love for music, and managed to channel this passion: even though the concept of a guy studying to become drummer sounds boring at first, "Whiplash" is a surprisingly engaging and emotional film, offering a broad spectrum of a viewing experience. A lot of this credit should also be given to a tight editing, fast pacing and two fantastic performances by the leading actors Miles Teller as the underdog trying to achieve his dream and J. K. Simmons as Fletcher, the mean Professor at the Conservatory who drills the musicians almost as if he is the drilling instructor from "Full Metal Jacket" and as big of a jerk as Dr. House. In one sequence near the opening act, Fletcher is furious that someone in his band is "out of tune". He approaches an overweight student, Metz, who is too afraid to look at him, so he lowers his eyes down, but Fletcher tells him: "There is no Mars bar down there, what are you looking at? Look up here, look at me!" Fletcher then orders Metz to leave, only to later admit in front of the class: "For the record, Metz wasn't out of tune. You were, Erickson, but he didn't know and that's bad enough!"
In another gruesome, cruel moment, Fletcher interrupts Andrew a dozen times because the latter is ostensibly always either too fast or too slow compared to his tune, even though the variations of the drumming are just 1% off each time, so Fletcher snaps and finally throws a chair at Andrew. Chazelle allegedly based this on his own experience, and thus there is a certain sense of authenticity and sensibility in these scenes, even though Fletcher's strictness is absurdly misplaced and ridiculous. Even his explanation as to why he is this way seems more like an excuse to terrorize people. Several other problems bother as well in the film: the scene of Andrew's hands bleeding from too much drumming is over-the-top (this is no martial arts training) whereas it is highly unconvincing that he would break up with his girlfriend Nicole in order to have time to focus on his practice. While some of these attempts to create a "drummer epic" which exalts musicians into superheroes is a tad overstretched, "Whiplash" is an energetic film that surprises the viewers at how even the smallest things can be done to be as gripping as a thrill ride. It's not about success, but about people just embracing their passion and going with it to the fullest.
Grade:+++
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