For all the critical acclaim it got, Whiplash (2015) is not without its share of detractors. Most of of whom are jazz musicians and music writers who described the brutal strategies of the music instructor played by J.K. Simmons as unrealistic.In a Huffingon Post article written by Brian Ross he stated:
"The suspense of disbelief is mission-critical in the movie biz. If you're doing Fast and Furious 93, you have a lot of latitude in what you can do because it's all largely fantasy. In career-oriented dramas, though, whether it's about fireman, doctors, lawyers, poets, scientists or social evangelists, the buck stops at the writer and director's door to ground the story well enough. To a point at least where people who do that job for a living would find some "reasonable" level of authenticity."
I do share the sentiment about certain types of movies being grounded on a sense of realism despite the obvious reason that they're works of fiction. There are certain genres that can get away with outlandish premises and situations like the Fast And The Furious series, or maybe Pirates Of The Carribean, or Star Wars. To go out and watch movies like these expecting "realistic" situations other than just simply sitting back and enjoying a bit of pure escapist fare is a bit like watching a porno flick and complaining about the gratuitous and graphic sex in it.
Films like this, on the other hand, really can't rely on the "but it's just a movie" riposte .
But that's as far as I agree when it comes to the objections toward the film.
Of course mentors like that are highly improbable in schools in more developed countries. But I don't think it's impossible. Especially in the Philippines. I heard my grandfather in my mother's side of the family suffered a similar traumatic experience in the hands of his own father---a big band leader/conductor himself. Though not exactly leading a jazz ensemble (more like a band for hire for specific social events) or looking out for the next "Bird", his spartan approach to teaching and maintaining the quality of the band was legendary.
I do admit the bleeding hands were a bit of a stretch but the movie succeeded in communicating its main purpose in making the audience ponder on whether Machiavellian approaches are effective in achieving excellence or not.
It's not exactly a feel-good movie despite the somewhat optimistic ending. Unlike movies of this sort that touches on the triumph of the human spirit over adverse conditions (i.e. Rocky, August Rush).
But the drum solos. That alone was a blast.
