Whiplash - 4K + Blu-ray + Digital

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!

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.

*contains a mini-spoiler* As a die-hard movie goer, this film was a rare treat that comes along once in a great while. I'm a hard core Sci-Fi fan, but I can appreciate a first rate movie from any genre. This one just happened to come from the only thing I love more than movies, music. This movie flew completely under my radar. Hadn't seen a preview, or read anything about it. I checked what was playing that day, crossed off the 5 playing I had already seen, crossed off the 7 playing I wanted no part of, I read the brief synopsis of Whiplash and saw J.K. Simmons was in it and that was enough for me. Basically as a movie goer these days, I just want to see something different and the bottom line for me is, I gotta get lost in it and be truly entertained. And Damnit, I was! At the scene of the car crash, I got up and walked the heck out. I knew there was no way I was gonna keep this much joy to myself! I walked out to my car, called my wife at work, I said "hey, this movie is INCREDIBLE". I said you have got to come see this thing! I can honestly say, thousands of movies, this has never happened to me personally. So later that night my wife and I saw this thing, went home, ordered the soundtrack, and pre-ordered the Blu-ray. Today we received the Bluray. I watched the movie twice today, one without, and once with commentary. Plus watched all the special features. It'll be a while before another movie impresses me the way this one has done. Was not that impressed with Miles in the few movies I had previously seen him in. Gotta say, he was right for this role and certainly earned my respect. J.K. Simmons, always great. Was very surprised to read some negative comments from some of the reviewers here at Amazon. Everyone is certainly entitled to their own opinion, but I was so blown away I guess I just assumed most people would feel the same. I was entertained in every sense of the word by this film and I don't regret a penny I spent on it. I wish Miles could have been part of the commentary and I wish they would have included a piece on his training as part of the special features. Aside from those minor gripes the blu-ray release is all thumbs up from me. Great picture, superb DTS-HD MA 5.1 track, a 45 minute feature that was fairly interesting with interview segments from a bunch of professional drummers, the original film short, and a couple other little tidbits. Again, was really hoping for a glimpse into Miles' training for the film, but nothing's perfect. It's a must-own for fans of great drama and music.

Gran película de jazz / blues

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.

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。

ラストは本当に見ごたえがあって、見てるこっちもアドレナリン全開になりました。