For a popular music course in university, I had to attend and review a performance by a jazz ensemble on campus. It was a memorable experience and one of the things I discovered was that a live performance is as exciting and enjoyable to watch as it is to listen to.
Director Damien Chazelle has a complete understanding of this characteristic of a jazz performance in his phenomenal new film "Whiplash". His camera captures each performance throughout the film in a manner that highlights the improvisational nature of jazz itself and emphasizes the excitement and wonderment of witnessing a live performance.
There are musical sequences in which each instrument is given sudden close-ups when it is its turn and the editing of this film is a major achievement in bringing about awareness of the intricacies, cohesion and inter-connectedness of all the parts of an ensemble.
The plot of the film is quite conventional and alludes to the Horatio Alger myth. It portrays a youngster named Andrew (Miles Teller) who must defeat his own doubts and insecurities and rise from a promising but inexperienced music major at a fictional university to an accomplished, respected musician. Andrew's chief nemesis/mentor is a frightening, harsh music professor/conductor named Fletcher (J. K. Simmons). Both of these performances are outstanding and make the film more believable and intense. Simmons' character is a complex villain. He makes you cringe and feel uncomfortable at the cruelty he inflicts on many of his students to bring about the performance he is after. At the same time he is at times sympathetic in ways that add depth and emotional investment.
This is one of the great films of 2014. Great acting, cinematography, screenplay and direction. It is an unforgettable experience.
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