#12: Whiplash Ill start off by saying that there is one solid flaw with this movie that kept it from my top ten: its length. Now a lot of people dont mind the more fantastical nature of the last act and neither did I: I just felt it could have been cut a little bit. I start off with that criticism because there is literally nothing else about the movie that I dont absolutely love. This is a movie that explores personal relevance and perfection: how obsessive we can be to achieve greatness and whether personal happiness is as important as being remembered after we die. First-time director Damien Chazelle crafts these themes beautifully into a tour de force debut: combining stellar editing with a stellar script to create one of the most thought-provoking and uncomfortable movies this year. Outside of technical construction and story, this movie sports two of the best performances this year. Miles Teller channels his characters obsession for perfection beautifully and takes you along as you watch him sacrifice everything (including his own mental health) to be the best. As for J.K. Simmons, Ive already talked a lot about his villainously abusive Terence Fletcher in my villains post, so I wont repeat myself here. I will only say that this is not only the best performance from this actor, but probably the best supporting performance of the year. This is a movie for the artist in all of this: the struggling and poverty-stricken dreamer who grapples with issues of self-worth and our talent (or lack there of) on a daily basis. For those who know what Im talking about, and even those I dont, this is a must-see.
Posted on: Sat, 03 Jan 2015 01:00:20 +0000