As it's awards season there's no dearth of films out at
the moment that display awards winning potential - whether direction,
scripting, production or acting performances.
'Whiplash' is a film that has been nominated for several awards,
including acting nods, and straight off the bat I have to say: this film
contains one performance that absolutely should walk away with an acting Oscar,
no contest. But that's not the least of
what this film should be notable for - it is an absorbing and rousing drama,
focussing on one young aspiring jazz drummer's attempts to win the approval of
a noted conductor, and assure his place as one of the greats. You don't have to appreciate, or even like,
Jazz music to appreciate this story of an artist's drive for perfection, what
it costs them, and a fire-brand mentor figure who is as terrifying as he is
inspiring. And that such an impressive
film should come from a first-time director is even more remarkable.
Let's get the obvious out of the way first: this will be
remembered as J.K. Simmons' film. His
portrayal of band conductor Terence Fletcher is one of those roles that is at
once iconic, and will forever be considered Simmons' signature role. He has the best lines in the film, delivered
with passion and appropriate venom. He
praises, he berates, he taunts, he bullies, he even slaps those in his band
around; but in Simmons' hands Fletcher is never a one-note villainous archetype. He brings out the humanity in the character,
showing moments of sensitivity and reflection.
In one scene he talks about moments that made great jazz musicians, and
without resorting to scenery chewing or shouting, he conveys that Fletcher
completely f**king loves Jazz, and pushes the musicians in his band because he
wants to play his part in launching the next great jazz musician. If Simmons doesn't win an Oscar for this
performance in this film I will be absolutely astonished: he takes hold of this
film like a crocodile grabbing a wildebeest - he utterly owns it.
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| Andrew (Miles Teller) gets 'pushed beyond what is expected' of him by Fletcher (J.K. Simmons) |
Saying this, the rest of the film completely stands up on its own merits beyond
Simmons' performance. Miles Teller plays
the lead character, Andrew, the aspiring 19 year old drummer who is the focus
of the storyline. It is to his credit
that not only does he deliver an even-handed performance (although Andrew is
likeable, he makes a couple of decisions and a couple of statements that show
the flaws in his ego), but he goes head to head with Fletcher, demonstrating
the depth, motivations and drive of the character. You come away from the film feeling that here
is a young actor who could have great roles ahead of him (beyond the Fantastic Four reboot, out this summer) - and that's no mean
feat in a film that has such a towering
performance from an established actor like Simmons.
The direction from Damien Chazelle is assured and
confident - it is staggering to think this is just his first film (which he
also wrote). He evokes the likes of
Tarantino and Edgar Wright with rapid close-ups of musicians instruments cases,
tuning and preparing their instruments - drawing a comparison with the way
these and other directors give a sense of military precision to (usually)
action heroes readying for battle; for the musicians there is obviously an
almost military level of discipline and precision involved in their art -
especially when they have to meet the exacting standards of a conductor like
Fletcher. As well as this, the film
makes apt use of the title, which is not only that of one of the Jazz standards that is central to the band's performances, but evokes a sense of punishment:
that which is self-inflicted, as Andrew literally drums until he bleeds in
order to meet Fletcher's standards, but that which the conductor afflicts in
order to get the performances he requires from each of his musicians. There's also the sense of evoking the injury
of the same name, as Andrew almost engages in a battle of egos with Fletcher,
going to the point of injury to prove his is deserving of his place on the
conductor's band - and the way this goes back and forth between them. At the end of the film, the camera itself
captures this, with break-neck whipping pans back and forth between the drummer
and the conductor during a final, exhilarating performance of another Jazz
standard, 'Caravan'.
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| Don't worry, JK - this movie is my tempo... |
From a personal viewpoint, as someone who used
to be a drummer in bands with friends in my younger years, I appreciated this
film for drawing attention to the fact that drummers are just as dedicated and
driven to perfection as other musicians, but are often overlooked at this. Having said that, listening to the amazing
drumming performances in this film, I'm disavowed of any notion that I was
anywhere near as good a drummer as I thought myself to be! 'Whiplash' will be remembered for Simmons'
phenomenal, defining performance as Terence Fletcher - and rightly so. But it is also a great drama, and an
excellent début from a first-time director.
Whether you care for Jazz music or not, this is a film that you will
enjoy and will remain in your memory long after.
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