Whiplash (2014)
#TAGS:
fresh perspective
did not get it
immersive atmosphere
fitting soundtrack
expected outcome
acceptable suspense (developments predicted minutes before)
intense action
realistic effects
untraceable (natural) acting
#COMMENTS:
well i’m ok with kicking that guy off because he don’t even know he’s out of tune or not, but why the fuck do you keep the other player who also don’t know? prejudice much
really don’t know what to think. every step of the way is pretty predictable.
what is the point? (READ: why would I care?) that practice like a crazy person would pay off if you don’t behave like an arrogant fuck or not believing yourself and have a truck crashed into you 10 minutes before performance?
I think a story of practice makes perfection is as old as lullaby, so is the question of temperance. These questions are not unique to a place or time and is thoroughly explored (not just talking about films but artwork in general). Maybe greatness is imperfect is a slightly less clichéd message (still pretty much the first lesson in becoming a musician though).
fletcher is pretty much just being an asshole to release his own self loathing or something.
also sure skill is of utmost importance but the entire thing (except the performance finale) is pretty much against my interpretation of the jazz spirit (expression of self). did make a good background sound track for playing games though.
I don’t think the last performance was “original” but I could be wrong; it should be the solo that he has been listening to. Maybe I just had a déjà-vu. this is a crucial point in determining if he did improvise the solo and “jazz-ed up.”
there is no story / development other than he plays/practices, got noticed, then got “abused”, practices harder, success. This is the de-facto way of how most music performers get trained. So I suppose my background might demystified the subject too much.
The whole God in a machine accident can be removed and the story will remain the same. (assuming no improvised solo). Plus one thing that does not make sense in my brain is that if he can improvise, why was his performance with the unfamiliar piece that bad? Did not notice a revelation or magic injection of jazzness between that and the finale.
the girlfriend plot was a bad misdirection since nothing ende up happening, but his breakup speech was kinda important in showing his obsession.
if crucial moments were predictable, the characters would be totally destroyed e.g. The Accident, evil plot, and coming back to perform all seem way too expected to the point that they seems scripted and unintelligent.
#TAG SCORE: 8