Whiplash - 4K + Blu-ray + Digital

I dont think I have ever rated a movie 5 stars or damn near perfect.. Except for maybe, except for maybe Shawshank and maybe 2 others.. But this one is probably one of my favorite movies.. The ending is probably the best endings of a movie ever.. It leaves you wanting more.. but still is a excellent ending.. The cast is great. And glad J.K. Simmons finally gets his deserved recognition. I am not a music guy. I have no ear for music. Can barely tell the difference between instruments let alone if something is off tune, unless it is miles off.. But ironically that doesnt matter.. Give this one a chance if you never have.. And if you have and didnt like it, or what not, fair enough.. I liked it but didnt love it the first time I watched it..

Wow. Whiplash is one of the most intense and heart-pounding movies I have seen in a long time. Which is surprising because this isn't an action movie, a thriller, or horror. Whiplash is a movie about drumming. And yet, my heart was still racing ten minutes after it ended. It tells the story of Andrew Neiman, a young jazz drummer who dreams of being one of the greats. At the beginning of the film he is starting his first year at the best music school in the country, where he becomes a student of Terrence Fletcher. Fletcher is a ruthless and cruel teacher hell-bent on perfection. Make the slightest mistake and he will verbally abuse you in ways you wouldn't imagine. He is the kind of man who believes that being kind or telling you that you did a good job will make you too comfortable, and to really make someone reach greatness they need to be pushed to their absolute limits. Most reasonable people would realize that he is going too far and find a different teacher, but Andrew wants to be a perfect drummer, he wants to be a legend. Because of this he continues to let Fletcher abuse him so that he can reach that greatness. The result is an intense movie about obsession. It's the kind of film that makes you unsure of how to feel. On the one hand, Andrew's dream is to be a legendary drummer, so we should admire his willingness to go so far to achieve that dream. On the other hand, he breaks up with his girlfriend, acts like a jerk to friends and family, and pushes himself so far physically and mentally that I started to question his sanity. My younger brother loved Whiplash, but when I told him how unsure I was about Andrew's choices, he was surprised. He saw this as a simple story of someone achieving their dreams through any means necessary. It just goes to show how many different ways there are to interpret the story. The film is very well paced and there isn't a single unnecessary scene or moment, and at an hour and forty minutes it doesn't overstay it's welcome either. It all leads to an incredible ending. I won't spoil it, but Whiplash has not only the best ending of 2014, but one of the best movie endings I have seen in years. It could have easily been messed up too. Had there been one more scene showing what happened to the characters later, it would ruined the entire movie. Whiplash has a very strong and clear ending that doesn't tell the viewer how they should feel, something I really appreciated. To compliment the great story are the incredible performances. The entire cast is great, but the stand-outs are Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons. It's difficult to find the right words to describe just how amazing these two performances are. Teller does fantastic as the ambitious drumming student Andrew. The character is great because his change over the course of the film feels very natural and believable. In the beginning, he is shy and introverted. After earning the spot as core drummer, he gains confidence. But as time goes on, he goes from confident and relatable to obsessed and angry. Teller does an amazing job of showing this transformation and I really look forward to seeing what roles he will play in the future. But of course, the performance everyone is going to remember is J.K. Simmons as Terrence Fletcher. Simmons did not hold back at all. He was willing to go absolutely crazy on camera. The scenes where he lashes out at his students make the scenes where he is seemingly calm and kind all the more unsettling. In one scene Andrew watches him talking with an old friend and kindly asking the man's daughter if she'd like to be in his band some day. Five minutes later he's yelling at his students and threatening to "demolish" a random person standing nearby. There were actually moments where he was showing a softer side to his personality and I honestly had no idea if he was faking it or not. Moments like those were what really made Simmons worthy of that Oscar he won. It should come as no surprise that a film like this has great music. The all-jazz soundtrack is awesome and suits the movie really well. The drumming is also great of course. One drum solo in particular stands out as the best scene in the film. The sound mixing is great and I'm glad the Academy recognized this. Visually, Whiplash is stunning. The cinematography is great on it's own, but the film also has this interesting use of color palettes. Some scenes have a slight blue tint, others green, but most commonly orange. I liked this choice a lot as, paired with the jazz soundtrack, it added some style to the otherwise intense movie. The movie came in a rather odd case. It was thinner than all my other blu-rays and had some kind of clip on the side. It's not bad or anything, I just thought it was strange. There appears to be quite a lot of bonus features to look at, including the original Whiplash short film. I will update the review once I have looked at them all. Whiplash is just one more fantastic film to add to the growing list of great films from 2014. Overall, I'd say it is my second favorite of the year. It's an intense and heart-pounding story of obsession and how far a person is willing to go to achieve their dreams. The two lead performances are amazing and the ending is unforgettable. I definitely recommend giving Whiplash a try.

THE FILM: My head is still spinning from the whirlwind of what I just experienced. WHIPLASH isn't just a film. It has to be seen to be believed. The plot, although it probably won't do it justice, is about a young drummer (Miles Teller) who is accepted into a conservatory jazz band led by Fletcher (J.K. Simmons). Miles Teller's character wants to be one of the greats, and Fletcher uses what some would consider questionable methods to push him in that direction. That's really all you need to know going in. I should say that this is the absolute best I've seen out of Miles Teller, having graduated from teen fare like THE SPECTACULAR NOW. And J.K. Simmons? Wow! He brought such an intensity to his role that I wasn't prepared for. He's probably the best antagonist I've seen since R. Lee Ermey in FULL METAL JACKET, and pretty much as creative. However, it's not just the performances that make this such a compelling watch. This film has some of the best editing I've ever seen, and it fit so well with the jazz score. The various production elements were tightly woven and integrated in a way that pulls you into the story and never lets you go until the final frame. Unlike, say BIRDMAN, this completely lived up to the hype in my opinion. As a character study on what it takes to succeed, WHIPLASH is second to none. This feels like something that will be studied in years to come, and it's definitely worth your time. THE EXTRAS: I have to admit, I was quite pleased with the special features they included in this Blu-ray release. There's a solid hour of additional material that deepened and enriched the experience. The largest of these is a 43-minute documentary, "Timekeepers," which has interviews with several real-life drummers (including director/writer Damian Chazelle) talking about their lives, experiences, teachers and wisdom they have to offer. I'm not a drummer (rather, a pianist), but advice they gave could well apply to any creative art. They also included the 18-minute short upon which the film is based and, to my surprise, J.K. Simmons played Fletcher in this as well. The short film is basically the first rehearsal scene with Fletcher's band and it played very much how it ended up in the full-length feature. Differences I noticed were the actor playing Andrew, the set, and a line or two that were in the full-length film but not in the short. I suppose the biggest difference was the slightly more restrained way that Simmons played Fletcher. This was perhaps my favorite out of all of the special features, and it also has an optional commentary track. Rounding out the supplements are a deleted scene (also with optional commentary) and 8 minutes of Q&A from TIFF. Finally, there is a commentary track for the film itself. Altogether, an impressive set of special features for an equally impressive film. OVERALL: The more I think about it, there are two words that accurately describe WHIPLASH: perversely inspirational. Motivation and drive are very important in any creative endeavor, as this film aptly shows. Sure, the drama and reality is somewhat heightened, but that's a basic necessity of cinema. Regardless of what field one is in, we've all had our own "Fletcher" at one point or another. And for me, what makes this film so great apart from its impeccable technical qualities is the dynamic between Andrew and Fletcher, one as compelling as it is fully realized. Even in the final scene, which I won't spoil, it was riveting to watch how that dynamic changed as they played off one another. I suppose I could go on for a while longer, but suffice it to say that WHIPLASH is one of the best modern films you will ever see. It's a shame that I was unable to see it last year, as it certainly would have made my top five. As for the collectors out there, I would consider this Blu-ray release essential. Not only do you get the best picture and sound (and the sound is particularly important with this one), but you also get the short film that inspired it. WHIPLASH delivers the intense experience it promises, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone willing to give it a try.

The name "Fletcher" kept bothering me during this movie--it's the name of the protagonist of "Mutiny on the Bounty" (a story about a merciless tyrant on the high seas); it's also the name the actress playing the heartless, sadistic nurse who provokes mutiny among the inmates in a mental institution ("One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"); finally, it's the in-your-face, ultimately unpardonable, decapitating fraud posing as a "tough love" teacher in "Whiplash." And it is Fletcher (J.K. Simmons)--not Andrew, the aspiring jazz drummer (Miles Teller)--who is at once most intoxicated and self-deluded by the iconic name and reputation of Buddy Rich. The stories about "Traps, the Boy Wonder" havge, throughout my entire life, focused less on his undeniable talent than on things like his firing half the band minutes before a job because the musicians appeared with mis-matched socks. Then there are the notorious "Buddy tapes," recorded surreptitiously by band members on the bus. They reveal an egomaniacal martinet, capable of erupting with streams of withering profanity directed at some outmatched, hapless, underpaid young musician who is fired on the spot, then ejected from the bus to fend for himself in the hot Nevada desert. At its heart, "Whiplash" is nothing more than a young man's rite-of-passage story with a Disney-esque ending. What separates it from other films are some brutal truths about instrumental music and jazz . 1. Andrew has no illusions about the price of being the best. Say goodbye to friends, marriage, relationships because in order to be like Bird or Buddy, you'll need to sacrifice your whole life to your ax, 24/7, no short cuts (so much for garage bands); 2. The competitive pressure is so intense and the chance of a single career-ending misstep is so great that either can lead to self-destruction on the way up and even after you become top drummer with the Jazz at Lincoln Center orchestra; 3. The final otherwise predictable scene (kid defies all the odds, comes back from abject failure and near death to perform the world's fastest drum solo) is perhaps the best-filmed / edited / mixed instrumental solo yet (a big plus when you consider that the general population is not merely clueless about jazz but instrumental music in general. Those three things may not make it a great film, but it's exceptional simply by their inclusion. To get to them, the viewer will need to tolerate a whoppers such as these: 1. How many teachers today can get away with repeatedly throwing lethal objects--cymbals, chairs, etc.--at their students? And that failing, how many can practice tough love to the extent it drives kids to commit suicide? 2. Since when is music an athletic competition about who's the fastest? (It's hard to recall a single swinging moment in the movie. Where's the "chic" of the high-hat's off-beats? 3. Since when does being the fastest, or even the best, drummer, make you a mega-star (or even guarantee an income stream?). Instrumentalists, and jazz musicians in general, are not paid like rock stars. The film begins to make more sense when you see the teacher--not Andrew--as the one who's suffering from delusions of grandeur because of Buddy Rich. It's not Buddy's reputation as a drummer but as an mean, foul-mouthed leader continually berating his musicians that's most relevant to the story (for those of us who know the score). But Buddy did not adopt that persona until late in his career, when he began traveling with his own band of young kids half his age. Most were clueless about Buddy's accomplishments (star of the annual Jazz at the Philharmonic series; house drummer at Verve records for a host of jazz greats). He knew he could not rely upon his distant reputation as a drummer to get the respect that was his due: instead, he chose to become their worst nightmare, terrorizing them in return for their fearful serious regard. His tough-talking ways were as much about his own survival as "shaping up" his young troops. The movie's Fletcher is a hard-nosed, nasty and mean, knucklehead who, as we see in the scene where the disgraced Fletcher is "reduced" to playing tepid piano in a jazz club, remains a captive of his own ego, rationalizing his narcissistic exhibitionism as for the good of promising students like Andrew (who's gullibiltiy at this point must be shared by the audience for the movie to work its formulaic "boy makes good" magic. Nevertheless, J.K. Simmons' Fletcher reveals, even during the expertly edited drum solo, that remains a one-dimensional character who, even after his disgrace and ejection from the musical conservatory, is a vindictive, resentful teacher, continually throwing off his coat to display a well-buffed hard body to go along with his megalomaniacal temperament. Had the script allowed him to undergo a transformation in his own views about music, teaching and learning, the film might have had not merely a believable character (I've known my own share of Fletchers in the music education business) but a sympathetic one as well. The film also could have used, in addition to the undeniably well-edited drum solo, more stretches of hard-swinging jazz. To its credit, it ends abruptly with the climactic drum solo, not lingering around for the usual sentimental fluff.

Great movie! The story, the acting, the directing, the music...it was superb.

Nearly a masterpiece, but with some irritating flaws. Enough has already been said about the performances, which are uniformly excellent from the entire cast. Everyone already knows by now that this film is about a loud, vulgar, hard-driving ultra-intense music-college instructor and his relationship with a young drum student. The young man in question already plays great, but Instructor Fletcher wants more - a lot more out of him. He literally wants this student (and the others for that matter) to BLEED from practice and determination. I get that part, and there is nothing wrong with teachers, coaches, film director's, (etc) driving their underlings hard; encouraging and inspiring them to do better and more than they ever thought they could. Can an instructor become so passionate and intense at times, that their efforts to 'encourage' become abusive? As depicted in "Whiplash," the answer is unequivocally YES! Simmons character goes way beyond intense. He is verbally and sometimes even physically abusive to his students; to the point that it often brings them to tears, and if they do cry or even shed a tear, look out for the rage from Professor Fletcher that will follow. This was a problem for me. I felt like I was watching "Full Metal Jacket" instead of a film about a passionate music professor. R. Lee Irmey's characterization of the drill-instructor at Parris Island was right on target, and it seemed perfectly natural. However, Simmons character is so over-the-top with volumes of never ending jaw-dropping profanity and insults, that rather than be offended or shocked, I was simply bored and irritated. To me this is a problem with the script and not so much the actor. At some point the rough language and put-downs became unnecessary and unwelcome, and for me at least, it started to drag an otherwise superior film down. Another issue for me was a lack of character definition. We don't really know much about anyone on the screen, and perhaps that was intentional or perhaps not, and in the very few instances "Whiplash" does try to bring some character-definition into play, it seems overly convenient for the movie, and given everything else we're witnessing, it doesn't work. There is one scene where Fletcher embraces a former student as if they are old friends, and maybe they are, but this sudden gush of 'warm n' fuzziness' feels out of place here. One final issue, and its a biggie, is that there is not a likeable character anywhere to be found in this movie. The instructor is a jerk, the nineteen year old drummer, while undeniably talented, is arrogant and immature and the rest of the class are all so worried about their own fate in the band, that they treat 'each other' like dirt. Maybe this is all supposed to be, but if you're going to make a movie about mentoring and inspiring others to exceed their abilities, it would be nice to like 'someone' on the screen. The other problem with "Whiplash" is that it begs us to accept a lot of silly circumstances and story-developments, that quite frankly are just unbelievable. I won't give it away, but you'll know exactly when the movie starts to fall apart in credibility. Thank God the film rebounds with an electrifying final act. Ok, so if I have all these issues, why the 4-Star rating? The fact is, I can't argue with the brilliant performances and music, the editing and a twisting final half-hour that left me exhausted and very happy. But once I regained my composure, I quickly remembered the problems I had with the film. Had more care been given to the character and story development, and toning down at least half of the language and verbal abuse, I think "Whiplash" would be one of the best films I've ever seen, and a film that deserves and needs to be seen ... instead of the somewhat overrated and sadly misguided near masterpiece that it could have been. As for the Blu-Ray - it's wonderful. The documentary "Time Keepers" is really entertaining and quite a bonus, but the look and sound of the movie on the Blu-Ray is reference-quality.

I find it extremely cathartic to watch villains that I’ve met in life. Movies usually have the cliche mentor that is tough for the protagonists own good. This mentor of sorts only cares about perfection not the person at all. We had a good discussion as a family if the mentor actual helped or hurt ? Would the protagonist have prospered without the mentor? Without PTSD? Or did the villain mentor push him to be great ? I tend to think the protagonist would have been great without the mentor and maybe even better but not everyone agreed with my assessment. Great discussion movie that I wouldn’t have ever thought I’d like. I’m glad my son had me watch it . Best movie I’ve seen in a long time. The acting was so good!

This movie forced me to revise my list of the top 10 movies released in 2014 -- No contest -- Whiplash takes the number one slot. JK Simmons absolutely deserved the best-supporting actor Oscar for this performance. The script does its part to elicit conflicting emotions from from the audience, but most of the credit goes to JK Simmons' embodiment of Terence Fletcher as a seemingly sadistic, frequently profane instructor who believes the ONLY way to nurture greatness is by upbraiding and browbeating the most talented young musicians he can find. More than three quarters of Simmons' on-screen time is spent convincing the audience that he's a borderline sociopath, and yet, there are several brief moments where he succeeds in prompting us to question our own judgment. But Simmons isn't the only supporting actor in this movie. The music deserves equal billing. Each and every piece evokes moods and emotions that enrich the experience as much as any actor could ever hope to do. I thoroughly enjoyed movies like "The Commitments" (1991), "Once" (2007) and "Inside Llewyn Davis" (2013), all of which combined story and music. But, if we were to say those movies "wove" music with the script and the performances, then "Whiplash" must be described as "homogenizing" music, script and performances into one intoxicating substance. The music is essential to each of the movies mentioned, but in "Whiplash" the story is indelibly stained with song -- Impossible to remove without destroying the whole thing -- The only movie that comes close to making music this essential is Paul Thomas Anderson's "Magnolia" (1999), and, I hate to say it, but I think the Whiplash soundtrack-movie combo is superior to that movie too. Also praiseworthy is Miles Teller's leading performance as the pliable student musician, Andrew. The only reason Teller didn't receive best-actor nominations for this movie is because subdued roles such as this never result in nominations. Teller portrays his character as a fragile vessel filled with explosive materials. The audience scoots to the edge of their seats each time he's thrown to the ground, kicked down the stairs, or run over by a truck -- Each time we think the same thing -- "This is it" -- "He's gonna blow" -- "How bad's it gonna be?" -- Again, the script gets the credit for convincing viewers that they know this kid well enough to predict his reactions, but it's Teller who sells us on alternatives. We expect the character to zig, but then he gives us cause to reconsider the possibility that he might zag instead. What a great movie. See it.

Decepcionado con la compra trás intentar ver la película que he comprado, primera vez que recibo mensaje "Reproducción prohibida por código de región" con las respectiva negativa para su visualización, en todo este año de uso del reproductor Sony Blu-Ray que utilizo habitualmente.

El conflicto de un joven estudiante de música, su obsesión por querer ser alguien famoso, y su profesor que lo alaba, y a la vez lo ridiculiza, delante de los demás miembros de la banda. Que tanto se puede sacrificar, por llegar a alcanzar una meta? Ganadora de tres premios Oscar, mejor actor de reparto, mejor montaje y mejor sonido. Hace falta agregar más? Recomendable! Y si te gusta la música de jazz, mejor aún.

Loved it So much bought two 💙

魅力的なジャズの作品、スポ根とは違う情熱や運命を感じられた。

Gran película de jazz / blues