Film review: Whiplash (15, 106 mins)Drama/Romance

Snared by the rhythm of drummer’s painfull quest
Whiplash: Miles Teller as Andrew Neiman and J. K. Simmons as Terence FletcherWhiplash: Miles Teller as Andrew Neiman and J. K. Simmons as Terence Fletcher
Whiplash: Miles Teller as Andrew Neiman and J. K. Simmons as Terence Fletcher

The fresh paint of 2015 has barely dried and already we have a strong contender for the film of the year.

Inspired by writer-director Damien Chazelle’s experiences in a fiercely competitive high school jazz band, Whiplash is an electrifying tale of a 19-year-old drummer’s bruising battle of wits with his monstrous college tutor.

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As the title intimates, pain is acute in Chazelle’s lean script that pulls no punches in its depiction of the pursuit of musical excellence, which propels the self-destructive student to the brink of a mental and physical breakdown.

Drumming sequences are edited at a frenetic pace, spattered with the real sweat of lead actor Miles Teller, who performs all of the energy-sapping solos as if his life depended on it.

It’s a bravura performance complemented by JK Simmons’ jaw-dropping portrayal of the foul-mouthed, bullying conductor, who verbally abuses students that fall short of his impossible demands for metronomic and percussive perfection.

Staring at his terrified charges, Simmons’ musician-turned-mentor preys upon teenage fears and insecurities.

Star rating 9/10