An overly ambitious jazz drummer (Miles Teller), currently enrolled in the top conservatory in the country and with visions of becoming one of the greats at his craft, is quickly taken under the wing of his esteemed, tyrannical instructor (J.K. Simmons) who treats his classroom like a barracks and submits his new student to unrelenting psychological torment. Whiplash, is an impressive little feature from writer/director Damien Chazelle whose turns are not always in the realm of believability and whose unyieldingly intense plot, much like its lead character, gets constantly pushed to the limit. The music scenes are impeccably edited and the movie features a strong turn from Teller and a career performance from Simmons.
*** 1/2 out of ****
*** 1/2 out of ****
