Whiplash

 

Whiplash 2014

• Director: Damien Chazelle
• Seen by this director: First Man, La La Land
• Based on the novel: no
• Cast: Miles Teller, J K Simmons, Paul Reiser, Melissa Benoist
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Miles Teller – Fantastic Four, Rabbit Hole
• J K Simmons – Veronica Mars, La La Land, Burn after Reading, Juno, Hidalgo, The Cider House Rules
• Paul Reiser – Aliens
• Why? Recommended by somebody in a Facebook film group.
• Seen: 27 March 2021.      

       Andrew (Teller) is a nerdy and passionate drummer, a first-year student in a prestigious jazz academy. He’s chosen to drum in a school jazz band by the dreaded and extremely harsh director Fletcher (Simmons) who is sadistic, foul-mouthed and cruel. He reduces Andrew to tears in the first session.

       If in the end Andrew loves and respects this man for pushing him to be a great drummer and discovers that under his rough exterior, he has a heart of gold this film will get 0* from me, I don’t care how many Oscars it got.

       Not quite that bad as it turns out, I guess, but it is still a very unpleasant film about a vicious villain and an unlikeable victim. I don’t like it but because the acting is strong it gets      

2* of 5 (Hal liked at and gave it 4 ½* of 5).