A Movie “Whiplash” 12/21/14

December 21, 2014

This movie is about the music conservatory life which I went through myself. I attended Tokyo’s Performing Arts High School and Toho Conservatory in Japan, then master’s and doctor’s degree in the US for piano performance. At the last year of Toho Conservatory, 2 of my piano friends committed suicide because they could not handle the pressure before their debut concert. I cried for many times after the lesson at Toho. My teacher was pretty tough. So I totally understand the atmosphere in this movie even though this movie is so extreme that it is so far away from the reality. Andrew Neyman (Miles Teller) is an ambitious young jazz drummer, single-minded in his pursuit to rise to the top of his elite jazz conservatory. Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), a teacher equally known for his terrifying methods for teaching. Fletcher discovers the big talent in Andrew, and pushes him with horrifying way. The script is well written, and acting is amazing. I enjoyed it somehow in an odd way.