Whiplash [Blu-ray]

Loved it So much bought two 💙

"Whiplash", an independent film shot in 19 days, was one of the genuine pleasures of 2014 in film, telling the story of a promising young jazz drummer named Andrew at a prestigious music conservatory in New York being driven to manic ambition by a sadistic conductor/instructor named Terrence Fletcher. But it's so much more than a Faustian morality drama in functioning as a metaphor for the choice of reaching for the highest fame and success or being happy with the simple joys of life. It stars J.K. Simmons who reminds me of the great George C. Scott in that his performance here as a sadistic college band instructor is almost as intense in displaying unleashed machismo as Scott did playing General Patton. At this writing, the 2015 Oscars haven't been given out yet, but Simmons couldn't lose the Oscar if he dropped his pants on Hollywood Boulevard. Writer/director Damien Chazelle drew from his own experiences in High School (hopefully exaggerated!) to make a film that virtually assaults the viewer as if he were a punching bag continuously being pummeled by an enraged boxer. After an almost unbearable nine-minute drumming climax, the viewer will probably stagger out into the street, then spend days getting over the experience. By pushing the envelope almost to the unendurable, Chazelle has carved a cinematic masterpiece.

The performance that Miles Teller gives in Damien Chazelle’s new film “Whiplash” reminded me a lot of Robert De Niro’s in “Raging Bull”. They both play tenacious, unrelenting characters and do so in a way that can’t be forgotten and stays with the viewer long after the movie’s over. They may be pursuing different things, De Niro with boxing and Teller with drumming, but they’re each after the same goal: greatness. And that’s what this film is all about, reaching a goal that is relative to the person trying to achieve it. In this case, it centers around a guy who never feels understood. He’s attending the most prestigious music school in the country and is constantly working to be ‘one of the greats’. Who, in his eyes, is someone like Buddy Rich. Then unexpectedly, he’s given a chance to prove his chops on the renowned studio band instructed by Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons). He’s soon met with Fletcher’s abusive teaching tactics and is continuously tested under pressure. The question is, can he withstand. It tests the psyche of a young man and shows how far a person will go for something they love and want to do for the rest of their life. That being said, it’s a harsh movie. The audience is thrown right into the pressure cooker along with Teller, and if you’re not ready for it, it can be unsettling and scary. But that’s one of the main reasons why I liked it. Not only does it test the main character, it tests the viewer. You also can’t deny the masterful performances on display and finesse that the director brings along with them. Needless to say, this is a must-see. If I had seen it in 2014, it would’ve undoubtedly made my top ten.

Masterlpiece: the only word that comes to my mind. I can't simply find any fault with this film. The actors are terrific and the story is very, very powerful. What I liked most were the twists the story had especially the one at the end. And if you like music in general and jazz in particular , you are going to see this film several times. By the way, the director, Damien Chazelle isn't telling the world that this is the only or best way to teach music: he is just describing a situation that unfortunately many people will recognize also from the world of sport... An essential film, in my humble opinion.

Andrew is starting his first year at Shaffer Conservatory of Music, and being the best at Shaffer means being under Terence Fletcher, and being asked to play in his studio band, which represents the school. Andrew is surprised that Fletcher asks him to join the band, and quickly learns that Fletcher operates on fear and intimidation, never settling for what he considers less than the best each and every time. Being the best does not only mean playing well, but knowing that you're playing well and if not what you're doing wrong. He creates an atmosphere of fear, but Andrew works hard to be the best, and to figure out his life priorities and what he is willing to sacrifice to be the best. But how much emotional abuse is he willing to endure from Fletcher to reach that greatness, which he may believe he can only achieve with the avenues opened up by him......... To say that the last fifteen minutes of this will leave you breathless, is an understatement, and although its a typical cliché of many a critic, here that cliché is justifiable, and I'm sure you will agree with me after seeing this masterpiece. But what's funny is that it begins like any music school movie you may have come across in the past few years, and again, the introductions are your atypical high school movie fillers. Andrew is your man, the underdog, who doesn't have the accolades or the collateral like the other students, but Fisher sees something in him, but doesn't let him know. But then class begins, and the makers let Simmons loose, and if you think Ermey was harsh in Full Metal Jacket, try your time with Fisher, maybe the most poisonous teacher ever committed to celluloid, but hey, he's doing it all for the greater good. And that greater good is the medium of Jazz. Jazz is Fishers life, and its clear that he''ll be damned to let someone pass who is good, as stated by him several times, he wants the best, he wants the next Charlie Parker, someone who will give him that love of music, and much more. So the film asks the question, are his actions justifiable if he is so passionate about the music? He wants the music to be the best, and it appears that if you get a note wrong, its blasphemy in Fishers eyes. The film is monumental, so original and so fresh, it's been way too long since we have had something like this slap us round the face and take notice. Simmons will one hundred percent win best supporting actor at the Academy Awards, he is that good, a cross between the Grim Reaper, Drill Sergeant, and that teacher everyone hated at school, but at the same time, you empathise with him, it's his love, and it gives him pleasure as well as grief, as seen in the bar scene. When a film about music school can thrill, endear, shock, scare, and vex you, it's more than a film, it's an experience. A must see......

Drumming was very good

Amazing, brilliant, heart rendering and unbelievably passionate. A must see. ( 60+ awards won already) ! I couldn't help thinking of David's dad from shine.? If you haven't seen shine yet. it's excellent.

Bullying, violence and harassment are portrayed in this "movie" as efficient tools to get the best out of people! The nazi mentor is too humanized. JK Simmons is exceptionnal as very scar but the director, Chazelle, was not interested in condemning the violence but was just wondering if it is worth it. He should have worried about the number of people who will copy that maniac mentor. The homophobic and antisemitic insults should have made this movie an 18 certificate.

Gran película de jazz / blues

Decepcionado con la compra trás intentar ver la película que he comprado, primera vez que recibo mensaje "Reproducción prohibida por código de región" con las respectiva negativa para su visualización, en todo este año de uso del reproductor Sony Blu-Ray que utilizo habitualmente.

魅力的なジャズの作品、スポ根とは違う情熱や運命を感じられた。

THE FILM: My head is still spinning from the whirlwind of what I just experienced. WHIPLASH isn't just a film. It has to be seen to be believed. The plot, although it probably won't do it justice, is about a young drummer (Miles Teller) who is accepted into a conservatory jazz band led by Fletcher (J.K. Simmons). Miles Teller's character wants to be one of the greats, and Fletcher uses what some would consider questionable methods to push him in that direction. That's really all you need to know going in. I should say that this is the absolute best I've seen out of Miles Teller, having graduated from teen fare like THE SPECTACULAR NOW. And J.K. Simmons? Wow! He brought such an intensity to his role that I wasn't prepared for. He's probably the best antagonist I've seen since R. Lee Ermey in FULL METAL JACKET, and pretty much as creative. However, it's not just the performances that make this such a compelling watch. This film has some of the best editing I've ever seen, and it fit so well with the jazz score. The various production elements were tightly woven and integrated in a way that pulls you into the story and never lets you go until the final frame. Unlike, say BIRDMAN, this completely lived up to the hype in my opinion. As a character study on what it takes to succeed, WHIPLASH is second to none. This feels like something that will be studied in years to come, and it's definitely worth your time. THE EXTRAS: I have to admit, I was quite pleased with the special features they included in this Blu-ray release. There's a solid hour of additional material that deepened and enriched the experience. The largest of these is a 43-minute documentary, "Timekeepers," which has interviews with several real-life drummers (including director/writer Damian Chazelle) talking about their lives, experiences, teachers and wisdom they have to offer. I'm not a drummer (rather, a pianist), but advice they gave could well apply to any creative art. They also included the 18-minute short upon which the film is based and, to my surprise, J.K. Simmons played Fletcher in this as well. The short film is basically the first rehearsal scene with Fletcher's band and it played very much how it ended up in the full-length feature. Differences I noticed were the actor playing Andrew, the set, and a line or two that were in the full-length film but not in the short. I suppose the biggest difference was the slightly more restrained way that Simmons played Fletcher. This was perhaps my favorite out of all of the special features, and it also has an optional commentary track. Rounding out the supplements are a deleted scene (also with optional commentary) and 8 minutes of Q&A from TIFF. Finally, there is a commentary track for the film itself. Altogether, an impressive set of special features for an equally impressive film. OVERALL: The more I think about it, there are two words that accurately describe WHIPLASH: perversely inspirational. Motivation and drive are very important in any creative endeavor, as this film aptly shows. Sure, the drama and reality is somewhat heightened, but that's a basic necessity of cinema. Regardless of what field one is in, we've all had our own "Fletcher" at one point or another. And for me, what makes this film so great apart from its impeccable technical qualities is the dynamic between Andrew and Fletcher, one as compelling as it is fully realized. Even in the final scene, which I won't spoil, it was riveting to watch how that dynamic changed as they played off one another. I suppose I could go on for a while longer, but suffice it to say that WHIPLASH is one of the best modern films you will ever see. It's a shame that I was unable to see it last year, as it certainly would have made my top five. As for the collectors out there, I would consider this Blu-ray release essential. Not only do you get the best picture and sound (and the sound is particularly important with this one), but you also get the short film that inspired it. WHIPLASH delivers the intense experience it promises, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone willing to give it a try.

ラストは本当に見ごたえがあって、見てるこっちもアドレナリン全開になりました。