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Best Picture Review: Whiplash

Ever since the Nominees for the 87th Academy Awards  were announced last week, the industry has been abuzz with speculation on who was snubbed, who deserves a win, whose campaign was the most effectiveyou get the idea.

Here at On the Danforth Online, we decided we would watch all the nominees for Best Picture and review them for your benefit. All in the interest of good journalism, of course nothing to do with avoiding that slush pile of paper called “work.”

Leading up to the awards on February 22nd, look out for a review or two a week (tagged: And the Oscar Goes To…) to get you all caught up and rooting for your favourites in the Best Picture category.

Let’s get started!

Whiplash

BY ANURAAG SESHADRI

Whiplash, starring Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons
Whiplash starring Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons

Damien Chazelle directs an intense psychological drama between a master and his pupil using music as a backdrop. Whiplash is the story of two driven men a drive that makes them cross the fine line between passion and obsession. Andrew Neyman (Miles Teller) is a talented drummer who is recruited as a drum alternate for Terence Fletcher’s (J. K. Simmons) jazz band. Fletcher is an unforgiving instructor-conductor who instills fear in his orchestra with his acerbic tongue. He commands his troops with the subtlety of a drill sergeant, going to frightening levels of intensity when pushing them for glory.

When Andrew falls victim to Fletcher’s spirit-crushing tirade, he fights back by practicing with a relentless energy to win the respect of his stone-hearted instructor. What ensues is a game of one-upmanship between teacher and pupil that has a shocking ending. Miles Teller gives a fierce portrayal as a teenager pushed to the limits by a tough-as-nails instructor, and J.K. Simmons is riveting as the no-nonsense Fletcher. Simmons is a frontrunner for the Best Supporting Actor Award on Oscar night, in addition to Whiplash being nominated for Best Picture.


 

Featured image by Davidlohr Bueso obtained from Wylio.com. 

License: Creative Commons Attribution License

Movie poster used from Whiplash on IMDB.

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