Whiplash

In what was a relatively short film with a run time of 1h 47m it is paced perfectly and executed to perfection, using every ounce of screen time to develop Nieman or give us more J.K. Simmons gold. J.K. Simmons delivers an outstanding Oscar performance, where you genuinely think that he is Terrance Fletcher.  Damien Chazelle puts the audience in a unique position by flipping Fletcher's attitude so often, it keeps you eternally questioning if there is merit behind his actions or if he's just a plain old sociopath. Probably the latter but there is arguments to be made for both sides. Miles Teller also completely encases what a first-year college student would do and react to someone like Fletcher. He delivers a raw and true performance that without, this film would be so much worse off. This movie also has such a degree of realism, real emotions, real person-to-person relationships and much more. To top it all off that ending... The best ending I've seen in my film "career" per se. Fletcher gives Neiman one final fuck you by choosing a song he's never played nor has the charts to, and I truly thought that's where it was gonna end. Then.. everything Flecther has "worked" towards and the abuse he put ALL of his students through finally pays off, Nieman comes back onto that stage and plays Caravan with no warning, and so it begins. He then cues in his cellist and Fletcher sees what he's trying to do. The band then joins in and finishes the set in stunning fashion. However, Nieman is not done he continues his rampage and goes absolutely nuclear with the incredible snare lift-off.  As he finishes Fletcher shows the most positive emotion he has all film as it worked, all his insanity worked. He pushed Nieman to his absolute breaking point and then pushed him PAST that breaking point again! "The next Charlie Parker would never get discouraged" -Terrance Fletcher he was right, Nieman did get discouraged following the second competition, but after he walked off he put all his coins on himself and showed everyone that he is the next Charlie Parker. One of the many masterpieces made in the 2010s yet it still stands out above the rest. The real strength of this film was and always will be the acting, Nothing like it. It was in fact my tempo.