Method, madness in ‘Whiplash’ deliver early Oscar buzz

The movie “Whiplash” was the big winner at Sundance this year and is definitely in the running for some major year-end acting awards, including the Oscars. Pretty impressive for a low-budget film with a pretty simple premise: a music teacher challenges a student drummer.

What might not be obvious from such a premise is just how much high-intensity energy the film generates. This is not your typical pupil-teacher relationship.

First off, the student, Andy, played by rising star Miles Teller, is no ordinary college kid. He may only be a freshman but he’s at the top music conservatory in the country and he aims to be “one of the greats.”

Andy more than meets his match with a ferocious bandleader played by J.K. Simmons.

He’s the Bobby Knight of the music world and whiplash is the perfect word to describe what it feels like to be this guy’s pupil.

“I push people beyond what’s expected of them. I believe that’s a necessity,” says Simmons.

There may be a method to this teacher’s madness but that doesn’t mean he’s not mad too. He puts this student through hell and the question our drummer has to grapple with is: Is it worth it? He is worked so hard that his fingers crack and bleed more than once. How much is he willing to sacrifice in order to be the best version of himself? And is his teacher more mentor or sadist?

This film builds to an explosive climax, with Andy’s drum solos sounding as percussive as gun shots. It may get a little overheated and over-theatrical but it’s exciting filmmaking – just what you’d expect from a film called “Whiplash.”