“Do I look like a double f**king rainbow to you?”
There are plenty of great movie options to choose from if you’re staying in this Saturday night, and one in particular might go down as one of the best films of the decade when all is said and done.
First released in late 2014 (January 2015 on Irish shores), Whiplash tells the story of a young jazz drumming prodigy and his relationship with an emotionally abusive teacher at a prestigious music school.
The student (Miles Teller) and his instructor (The great J.K Simmons) clash as the latter demands nothing less than 100% commitment and dedication – friends, family, romantic interests and anything resembling a social life be damned.
Though a small-scale drama, Whiplash is suitably named as a wild range of emotions collide in a story that makes you question just who is in the right here.
Clip via Movieclips Coming Soon
A two-hander at heart, the film is carried by the terrific strength of Teller and Simmons. Both are note-perfect in their roles, to the point that it’s difficult at times to tell where your sympathies should lie.
Simmons, long recognised as one of the best character actors around following memorable parts in the likes of Oz and Spider-Man (there will never be a better J. Jonah Jameson so just bring him back, please) landed the Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars for his work here, and rightly so.
This is a genuinely iconic turn, even if his vicious instructor is arguably as demonic a persona as he has ever inhabited.
Both actors and expertly supported by Damien Chazelle’s incredible direction in just his second feature-length effort. Whiplash would prove the breakthrough smash for the man who would go on the land the Best Director Oscar for La La Land in 2016.
His work on Whiplash is masterful, showcasing skills far beyond his years – he’d not even turned 30 yet – as he harnesses exceptional tension from difficult dinner table conversations and virtuoso music performances.
Whiplash isn’t for everyone. Indeed, the film would draw significant criticism from artists who felt that it glorified abusive behaviour and presented a ‘happy’ ending in the face of terrible trauma.
But that’s just one of the many exciting aspects of Whiplash; that stunning final sequence is ambiguous. You may not even know how to feel afterwards, but you will be shaken up by it.
Whiplash is on tonight – Saturday 23 June – on RTÉ Two at 11.30pm
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