"Whiplash": Just my tempo

Spoiler Alert with Jimmy Nichols

When it comes to some of the most notable movies from the 2010s, there are “La La Land,” “The Social Network,” “Parasite” and countless others. However, another great movie from the decade is “Whiplash.”

Released in 2014, the movie is centered around a college freshman named Andrew Neiman who wants to be one of the best jazz drummers in history. The movie focuses on only two characters, Neiman and his teacher, Terrence Fletcher.

Tasked with playing the upcoming jazz musician in the movie is Miles Teller. Long before his days on the set of “Top Gun: Maverick,” this movie proved to be his breakout role.

Teller truly embodies the role of Neiman, showing the internal struggle that it takes to become one of the best in music history. The character sits on the line between holding it together and being mentally unfit, often hopping back and forth over the line.

At the beginning, when he’s selected to be in Fletcher’s band, he’s excited, but he quickly learns the cost of being great. He ends relationships, drums through bleeding blisters and almost ruins his life in the pursuit of fame.

Playing the instructor is J.K. Simmons. For his portrayal of Fletcher, Simmons won almost every recognized award for a supporting actor, including a BAFTA, a Golden Globe, a SAG Award and an Oscar.

Throughout the movie, the audience can’t easily tell if Fletcher wants what is best for his students, pushing them hard to be better than even they think they can be, or if he is an abusive mentor who gets pleasure from watching people struggle.

Fletcher will encourage Neiman privately or give him a certain look for encouragement, but in the very next scene, he is cussing him out and throwing things around the room.

While there are other characters in the movie, Fletcher and Neiman are the only two worth mentioning by name. The rest float around, only maintaining relevance for a few minutes before fading back to the background.

This, in part, might be one of the messages of the movie: only those who are considered the best are memorable, and for those who do not want to be the best, life moves on. A good example of this idea is the drummer in Fletcher’s band that Neiman replaces.

He is somewhat prominent when Neiman first shows up, but after Neiman takes over the seat, he is forgotten about and not mentioned. He is sitting behind Neiman in almost every scene, waiting to get another opportunity, but I forgot he was there until Fletcher talked to him later in the movie.

Neiman’s girlfriend fits into the other category- life moves on if you do not want to be great. When they start dating, she’s only in college because it’s a good university.

She does not know what she wants to major in and does not seem passionate about anything. When Neiman breaks up with her to focus on drumming, she fades into the background, living her life off-screen.

A few months after their breakup, Neiman calls her because he is about to play at a jazz festival and wants her there. However, she’s moved on and has a new boyfriend.

It reminds Neiman of the sacrifices he’s made to put himself in this position.

On the other side, Fletcher wants his musicians to be the best and sound the best. He admits in the movie that he has tried to push his students to be great, looking for the next Charlie Parker.

Parker is a famed saxophonist who had a cymbal hurled at his head by drummer Jo Jones because he was playing the wrong notes. However, Parker practiced more and came back, eventually becoming one of the greatest of all time.

This is why Fletcher incites his musicians and throws stuff around the room. He wants to be a part of the story of the next great musician.

However, there are times when his teachings go too far. While never introduced on screen, a former student of Fletcher dies by suicide, with his parents claiming it was caused by anxiety and depression brought on by Fletcher.

After an incident where he is kicked out of the band, Neiman agrees with the statement, which causes Fletcher to lose his job at the university. Neiman’s involvement in Fletcher’s firing is meant to be anonymous, to protect him from retaliation.

However, the two are reunited months later. This is where Fletcher invites Neiman to be the drummer for him at the jazz festival.

When Neiman walks on stage and sits down at his drum kit, Fletcher walks over and simply said, “Do you think I am stupid? I know it was you.”

Fletcher then conducts the band to play a song that he purposely didn’t give to Neiman and knows he doesn’t know how to play. Fletcher wants to embarrass Neiman and prevent him from ever working in the industry.

However, Neiman fires back in the next song, leading the band as he flawlessly plays a fast-tempo song called “Caravan,” losing himself in the music. The music builds beautifully until the teacher and student share a look, acknowledging that Neiman has reached the top, before closing out the piece and the movie.

This film is fantastic. The music played is beautiful to listen to and shows the sacrifices people go through to be considered the best.

After delaying watching it for years, I’m mad it took me this long to get around to watching it. This movie is a must-watch, and is one of the best drama movies I’ve seen.