Whiplash, Damien Chazelle 2014
By Ali Tenenbaum
It’s about a young drummer and his extremely tightly wound instructor who gives new meaning to the words “tough love”. Miles Teller does a great job with this character, an ambitious student and son of doting but detached dad Paul Reiser. Hungry for an emotional connection, he is easily drawn into a Stockholm syndrome type of deal with his teacher.J.K. Simmons is eerily realistic as a cutthroat mentor and the two of them dance around their dysfunctional relationship making it feel a little bit like a game.In the end, the film tries too hard to convince us that this is an important movie with good acting and interesting subjects. It feels overcooked, even burnt, but it’s also engaging and entertaining. Ultimately it all left me a little who cares, but serious acting and a solid effort make it worth a look.
Grandma could like it but it’s too intense for little kids.Teenagers will appreciate it.
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