Whiplash took the Sundance Film Festival by storm this January when it won not only the Audience Dramatic Award, but it also took home the Grand Jury Award. Damien Chazelle, the writer behind The Last Exorcism Part II and Grand Piano, made his directorial debut with Whiplash and if audience/critical praising has any say, this should prove to be quite the crowd-pleaser this fall.
Whiplash tells the dramatic story of Andrew (Miles Teller), a highly ambitious young drummer who finds himself under the wing of the most demanding, intimidating and influential music teacher in the country, Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons). Andrew is haunted by the failures of his father and he will go to any lengths to reach perfection. Fletcher is ruthlessly brutal, as this clip will attest, when it comes to helping his students realize their potential. Headlined by two fierce performances by Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons, Whiplash serves as a battle of the wills as Andrew tries to prove himself for Fletcher, hoping he doesn’t have to face the fate that his father did: That he’s just not good enough.
Miles Teller isn’t quite a recognizable face from his time in smallish comedies 21 & Over, That Awkward Moment and the indie drama The Spectacular Now, but his casting in the next Fantastic Four reboot and a strong showing for Whiplash this fall could change all of that.
Source: The Playlist