Some people are blessed with knowing what they want at their young age. When you do, you pick the school to make you skilled for the dream job. Like Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller) who loves playing drums and idolize Buddy Rich, an American jazz drummer and bandleader.
He’s spotted rehearsing drums by Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), a hard conductor looking for a drum alternate for his band Shaffer, but didn’t seem interested. But then he picked Neiman to join his band when he came to his class. Neiman rushed to the practice Fletcher said him to come the next day thinking he’s late, but later found out that Fletcher’s actual class starting 3 hours later. At his first practice, Neiman realized Fletcher’s mean method of conducting and training his band members. Neiman still is an alternate for the main drummer, Carl, but he’s tested to play. He got himself a slap when he couldn’t get Fletcher’s tempo, which pushes Neiman to tears.
There are no two words in the English language more harmful than good job.Still Neiman attempts to be Fletcher’s best drummer by doing more practices. He even breaks up with his new girlfriend, Nicole (Melissa Benoist) and said to her that he’s going to be busy with practices. At a local jazz competition, he misplaced Carl’s music sheets and caused Carl panic attack. But because Neiman remembered the notes in his head, he becomes Carl’s replacement to play ‘Whiplash’, which pleases Fletcher. Neiman feels great to finally satisfy him, but upset when he sees Fletcher recruit another drum alternate from Neiman’s former class. Fletcher said that Neiman must earn his role first.
Neiman did feel the role is his and determined to play as Shaffer’s drummer for the next competition. But he faced obstacles just to be on the event on time and forgot his music sheets, which makes him dismissed by Fletcher. Neiman refuses. On his way back after picking up the music sheets, he got hit by a bus. But that didn’t stop him to appear in the competition.
Nobody said pursuing dreams is easy. Feeling satisfied might be one obstacle that gets in your way, when maybe your standard and expectation are too low. Sometimes we need somebody else to push us to be the best. Fletcher’s method might be too controversial and test your mentality, but it sure does force Neiman to rise to his standards, which is high. But just how much when it’s too much? Is Fletcher really doing his band members a favor, or his?
The words ‘good job’ can be dangerous. It might be just an affirmation we need but not the reality. Personally, I’d prefer knowing the hurtful truth rather than being lied to. Sometimes we should be cautious if the person who train us really do us a favor and not for his. Fletcher is like a double-edged sword, but even so we can always learn from him. Learning to defeat laziness. Learning that being satisfied for doing a good job for one moment doesn’t mean we can unwind for long. It’s just mean we are good for that second, and should maintain to be good. Learning that our trainer is just a human, can be controlled by his benefit and personal need. But, we should know which learning method is best for us. The downside of having pressured in our training with the stress we can eventually resent our subject.
Two main characters in the movie, Neiman and Fletcher was first like a student and teacher. But then later they become enemy and then frenemy, then it’s enemy again. Miles Teller and especially J.K. Simmons delivered solid performances. I know that it was hugely part of J.K. Simmons why that one scene in Up in The Air about athletes really moved me, whereas Simmons had only one scene with George Clooney, as one employee he fired. I also knew that Miles Teller would have greater roles in bigger films when I saw him in The Spectacular Now as an insecure class clown. They both were marvelous.
Whiplash is one drama movie that I won’t be forgetting for a while. Mainly because that powerful ending which strikes me about not giving up, even when you are in the edge of cliff. Because often you’re the one who decide to give up or not.
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