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Whiplash - Film Review

Nobody I have ever seen (or can remember) in the movies before was the cast of this film.  In that sense it was a clean slate to go watch. 

Film was Oscar nominated.  Means as much to me as a Rotten Tomatoes rating does. Nothing.  I rate a movie based on what I think of it.  Anyway aside from the group think vs. me think debate I thought this film is entertaining and has one line that takes the prize.

That line is  - 'There are no two worse words more harmful in the English language than 'Good Job'.  That is what the band director (I thought was the protagonist but the film review team thinks was a side role) tells his drummer student in a bar (as they talk about bars and brass and drums and other lingo related to music).

Movie revolves around a high school kid that grew up with one parent.  Wanting to play the drums he enrolls in a NY school to be the best he can be.  While he is focused on achieving this skill he gets spotted by a very demanding band director played by J.K. Simmons (I guess as I think about it he may have been in Juno - another fun film). 

This director has an outrageous ask of his group of students to show up for practice and then wait till each one is performing to their peak.  All to drive home a point - made by somebody I read online - To inspire his or her students to get the MOST out of music, by GIVING the most to music. To inspire and instill a sense of discipline and responsibility, but to show students the rewards of concentration and playing well and working as a team.

In this case the cliché or Hollywoody stuff comes when he focuses on getting his point across by throwing heavy objects at his students (which could have killed or maimed them) and then ultimately the star drummer coming out of a car crash to play on stage.

Later the one solo drumming at a major event makes the director realize that his bet has paid off on this student he knew had what it took to excel at this art.

I think the title is supposed to convey what you might feel after coming out of a session with this band director.

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