Revisited - Whiplash (2014)

This movie is just intense, plain and simple. The reason I watched this film was because of the chair throwing scene which was so intense and raw and the scene which also probably enticed you to watch this film. This film doesn't involve any lives at stake or the chasing of the girl of your dreams, rather, its simply about a guy who wants to be one of the best drummers and by god is it glorious. This movie is honestly one of my favorites and the acting is just stellar especially from J. K. Simmons.

Whiplash released in 2014 and was written and directed by Damien Chazelle. It of course depicts the relationship between an ambitious jazz drumming student, played by Miles Teller and an abusive instructor at Shaffer Conservatory, played amazingly by J. K. Simmons. The fun fact is that Whiplash was originally a short film that Damien Chazelle made and due to the wide critical acclaim for his idea, decided to fund it for a big motion picture. It premiered in a competition at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 16, 2014, as the festival's opening film.

It won the Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize for drama. The film opened in limited release domestically in the United States and Canada on October 10, 2014, gradually expanding to over 500 screens and finally closing on March 26, 2015. The film grossed $49 million on a meager production budget of $3.3 million. The film of course received widespread critical acclaim, with particular praise for Simmons's performance and Chazelle's screenplay. At the 87th Academy Awards, Whiplash won Best Film Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Supporting Actor for Simmons, and was also nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture.

Andrew Neiman is a first-year jazz student at the prestigious Shaffer Conservatory in New York City. He has been playing drums from a young age, and he aspires to become a world-class drummer like Buddy Rich. Famed conductor Terence Fletcher invites him into his Studio Band as the alternate for core drummer Carl Tanner. Fletcher is excessively harsh on his students, more so abusive, as he repeatedly hurls vulgar insults at his students and even dismisses one from the band simply for accidentally being out of tune. When the band rehearses the Hank Levy piece "Whiplash" and Andrew struggles to keep the tempo, Fletcher hurls a chair at him, slaps him, and brutally berates him to tears in front of the ensemble.

At a jazz competition, the folder containing Carl's music sheets is misplaced while Andrew is guarding it. Carl cannot play without the sheets, and Andrew tells Fletcher that he can perform "Whiplash" from memory. After a successful performance, Fletcher promotes Andrew to core drummer. Soon after, Fletcher recruits Ryan Connolly, the core drummer from Andrew's former lower-level ensemble within the conservatory. Andrew believes Connolly is a less talented drummer than he and is infuriated when Fletcher promotes Connolly to core. Determined to impress, Andrew practices until his hands bleed and breaks up with his girlfriend, Nicole, to focus on his musical ambitions. After a grueling five-hour session with Fletcher and the other drummers in the class, during which Fletcher kicks furniture and screams at him, Andrew earns back the core spot.

On the way to another competition, the bus Andrew is riding breaks down. He rents a car but arrives late, then, realizing he left his drumsticks at the rental office, races back and retrieves them, but as he returns his car is broadsided by a semi. He crawls from the wreckage, runs back to the theater, and arrives on stage bloody and injured. When he struggles to play "Caravan," Fletcher halts the performance and dismisses Andrew, who then attacks him on stage, resulting in his expulsion from Shaffer.

At his father's request, Andrew meets a lawyer representing the parents of Sean Casey, Fletcher's former student, in an ethics complaint against Shaffer. Contrary to Fletcher's prior claim that Sean died in a car crash, the lawyer explains that Sean hanged himself out of depression and anxiety spurred on by Fletcher's abuse. Sean's parents want to see Fletcher dismissed and forbidden from teaching again. Andrew agrees to testify as an anonymous witness and Fletcher is fired. Months later, Andrew has abandoned drumming and is working in a restaurant. He discovers Fletcher performing as a pianist in a combo at a jazz club. Fletcher spots Andrew and invites Andrew for a drink after the performance.

He explains that he pushed his students so that they might become famous jazz musicians, referencing Charlie Parker's rise to fame as an example. When Andrew asks if his harsh methods may instead discourage students, Fletcher replies that the next Charlie Parker would never be discouraged. Andrew accepts Fletcher's invitation to drum with his band at the JVC Jazz Festival. He invites Nicole to the performance, but she has a new relationship.

On stage, just before the performance begins, Fletcher reveals that he knows Andrew testified against him, and starts the concert with a piece Andrew does not know, and for which he has not been provided with the necessary sheet music. Andrew leaves the stage humiliated, but he returns, interrupts Fletcher by playing "Caravan", and cues the band. Fletcher is taken aback, but resumes conducting. As the piece ends and the lights go down, Andrew performs a tremendous extended solo. Fletcher then shares an approving smile, and cues the finale.

I love this film and I thank myself all the time for wandering on youtube one late night and discovering that clip of J. K. Simmons brilliant chair throwing skills. This film is in your face and leaves you on your seat. This film is worth watching a hundred times over and by then you would still want to watch one more time. Theres nothing special about it, theres no crazy life threatening thing happening nor is the story an epic saga. The directing, the screenplay, and of course the acting just makes the film one of the greatest in the past decade. This has been Revisited, thanks for reading. Ricardo signing off.