Film Whiplash

[LuGoJ]

Anyone seen it yet? Seems pretty intense. I love JK Simmons and I'm happy seeing him play another lunatic.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2582802/

Andrew Neiman is a first-year jazz student at the prestigious Shaffer Conservatory in New York. He has been playing drums from a young age and aspires to become one of the greats like Buddy Rich. Conductor Terence Fletcher accepts Andrew into his studio band as the alternate for Carl, the core drummer. Fletcher is abusive toward his students, mocking and insulting them; when the band rehearses the Hank Levy piece "Whiplash", Fletcher hurls a chair at Andrew for not keeping his tempo, and humiliates him in front of the class.

That's just the beginning. Apparently he had him drumming until his hands were bleeding etc..

 

[David Wooderson]

I saw this without knowing any of the hype or seeing any preview and was very impressed.

Wonderful story, pace and acting.

The music is awesome, and is something people of all ages will dig.

JK Simmons's best role IMO...

 

[JoeTheStoner]

heard about it. not a fair statement but it sorta seemed like oscar fodder, but i loved birdman so who am i to judge...i'll give it a chance.

 

[LuGoJ]

heard about it. not a fair statement but it sorta seemed like oscar fodder, but i loved birdman so who am i to judge...i'll give it a chance.

I liked birdman a lot but I don't see what was so special about it. Same with whiplash, it looks really good, but nothing absolutely amazing.

That's why I'm not an Oscar panelist though

 

[Bardeaux]

Watched this a few months back, expecting noting special (the only reason I saw it was because it was about a jazz drummer) but walked out very impressed. I knew Simmons would be getting some recognition for this one.

 

[JoeTheStoner]

after watching it i had to check to see if the story fletcher (simmons) kept saying how charlie parker became great was true...

“Whiplash” Gets Jazz All Wrong

Here’s what Parker didn’t do in the intervening year: sit alone in his room and work on making his fingers go faster. He played music, thought music, lived music. In “Whiplash,” the young musicians don’t play much music. Andrew isn’t in a band or a combo, doesn’t get together with his fellow-students and jam—not in a park, not in a subway station, not in a café, not even in a basement. He doesn’t study music theory, not alone and not (as Parker did) with his peers. There’s no obsessive comparing of recordings and styles, no sense of a wide-ranging appreciation of jazz history—no Elvin Jones, no Tony Williams, no Max Roach, no Ed Blackwell. In short, the musician’s life is about pure competitive ambition—the concert band and the exposure it provides—and nothing else.

in the end i did enjoy it because iof the performances of the two leads but didn't find it inspiring. don't expect to see a film about what it takes to become a great jazz musician, not really about the music but the length the kid goes to chase his goal...