Director: Damien Chazelle
Cast: J.K. Simmons, Miles Teller, Melissa Benoist
Certificate: 15
Running Time: 107 mins
Special Features: Timekeepers – Famous drummers discuss their craft and passion for drumming / Whiplash original short film with Optional Commentary / Deleted scene / Commentary with Damien Chazelle and J.K. Simmons / An Evening at the Toronto International Film Festival with Chazelle, Teller and J.K. Simmons.
Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash straddles multiple genres, all at once, it’s a tense psychological drama and a nail-biting, exhausting thriller. Oh, and it’s definitely about the drums.
Fear not – you don’t have to be a drummer to fully appreciate Whiplash (though it helps). This is more about character, ambition and philosophies. Andrew Nieman (Teller) dreams of becoming one of the world’s greatest drummers. He spends his free time watching Buddy Rich crack out euphoric drum solos, subconsciously tapping out rhythms with his hands and feet and blasting the kit until he sweats blood.
So when he enrols at one of the most prestigious – and competitive – music schools in the country, it isn’t long before his talent gets noticed by a mentor, Fletcher (Simmons). And that’s when he really starts to get pushed to the limit.
It’s in equal amounts fascinating and exciting to watch Teller and Simmons at work: both pour pure heart and soul into their characters, as do their characters into their passions. Whiplash isn’t just about striving to be the best – it’s about the journey, and the sacrifices necessary to achieve greatness (if that even is a quantifiable achievement). Above all else, it’s about its characters.
Teller is a revelation – we’ve seen what he can do across a couple of genres, but nothing’s really tested him yet on the scale of Whiplash. Simmons, however, is the standout performance, himself revelatory despite his copious body of work. Fletcher is a truly three-dimensional, fleshed-out character, full of energy and passion but tinged with sorrow and regret. It’s difficult to pin him down, which is by all means a compliment – Simmons brings everything to the table and gives us plenty to digest.
Whiplash started life as a short film (included exclusively on the Blu-ray version), with Chazelle (who writes and directs) originally unable to get the funding for a full-length feature. It’s clear to see why it was picked up back at Sundance in 2013 – Whiplash is something new; something different. It’s an edge-of-your-seat, exhilarating modern masterpiece about someone playing the drums, which ultimately transcends such a simple synopsis. Buy it now.
WHIPLASH is out now on Blu-ray and DVD. Buy it here!
