Movie Review: WHIPLASH (A Retrospective)

Whiplash is a 2014 Best Picture nominee with a performance by the Best Supporting Actor winner of 2014, J.K. Simmons. The film is directed by Damien Chazelle and, in light of the upcoming release of his wildly critically exalted film La La Land, I will be taking a look back at this other directorial effort. The film stars Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, and Mellissa Benoist. It follows the story of a young drummer who gets an opportunity and endures a punishing music instructor dead set on making him one of the greats.

Side By Side: BLACK SWAN vs. WHIPLASH

Welcome to another installment of SIDE BY SIDE, where we dissect the differences and similarities between two films, be it a remake/reboot with its original, a sequel with its original, or two similar movies. This week, however, we are taking a bit of a different approach by comparing two seemingly completely different films by two different directors, but both films hold several similarities and these two films are Darren Aronofsky's BLACK SWAN and Damien Chazelle's WHIPLASH.