2014 | Dir. Damien Chazelle | 107 Minutes
"There are no two words in the English language more harmful than 'good job.'"
With dreams of becoming an accomplished musician, jazz band drummer Andrew Neiman is a young student at the Shaffer Conservatory in New York City vying for a spot in conductor Terrance Fletcher's studio band. When he catches his break, Neiman quickly finds Fletcher to be extraordinarily abusive. Undeterred and pushed to the limits of his abilities, Neiman struggles to win the approval of Fletcher, sacrificing his spare time and any chance at maintaining meaningful relationships.
Though Miles Teller plays the lead- who does a fine job bringing a naive vulnerability and a gritty edge to the role of Neiman, selling both doe-eyed innocence and burning defiance throughout the film- unequivocally, the film is dominated by the presence of J.K. Simmons as Fletcher. Simmons' Fletcher demolishes nearly everyone in his path, expertly delivering litany after litany of volatile vitriol to his students demanding nothing less than perfection, zeroing in on any deeply personal insecurity he may detect, occasionally hurling furniture or equipment when he doesn't get his way. Balancing out this performance, Simmons also excels in quiet moments that explain but in no way completely justify Fletcher's motivation: his belief that positive reinforcement sabotages the cultivation of true talent.
The cast also features Paul Reiser in a small role as Neiman's supportive father and Melissa Benoist in a rather thankless part as Neiman's jilted girlfriend Nicole, a character that solely exists to show a facet of what the young man is sacrificing in order to achieve his dream.
Featured in the 2012 Black List*, despite a few minor flaws (particularly the paper-thin character of Nicole), writer/director Damien Chazelle's screenplay based on his short film of the same name is virtually airtight with its very best moments focused on the character of Fletcher and his questionable treatment of his charges. Whiplash is a briskly paced, and wonderfully acted, small masterpiece of a film.
*The Black List is an annual survey of the most-liked Hollywood movie scripts not yet produced.
FRAGMENTS
- J.K. Simmons plays soft-spoken and and supportive Airbending Master Tenzin on The Legend of Korra, pretty much the polar opposite of Fletcher
- Miles Teller, showing incredible talent in this film, starred in Josh Trank's disastrous 2015 Fantastic Four reboot
- Melissa Benoist plays television's Supergirl
MCU CONNECTIONS
- J.K. Simmons (J. Johan Jameson in Spider-Man: Far From Home and Spider-Man: No Way Home)
