“Whiplash” is stunning and alive drama that I cannot ignore. Damien Chazelle captures the relatively stale topic of a student-music-teacher relationship in the art of thriller, all while commenting on the social landscape of the world. Nowadays, competition is cutthroat and unforgiving. What does it take to be number one? What will you give up, or force others to, in order to achieve greatness? The film, featuring the most captivating performances of the year, with record-breaking frantic editing and unapologetic script that binds and unbinds itself in a surprising fashion, “Whiplash” packs breathless moments like none other as it plays along the rhythm of the main character's hopes and dreams.

Andrew Neyman (Miles Teller), a young man who attends one of the best music schools in the United States, practices his drumming into the early hours of the morning. His efforts do not go unnoticed and he is interrupted by the most important teacher at the school Mr. Fletcher (J.K. Simmons) who also serves as conductor for the schools prestigious jazz band. Fletcher stops to listen for a moment, gives a few commands to the student, and walks off, no doubt dissatisfied with what he experienced. Andrew had his chance and for that brief second, he had the opportunity like many of us do in life to dazzle those who can potentially transform his existence. To no shock, however, he completely failed to deliver. Returning to the class band he plays with, saying to his father who is played wonderfully by Paul Reiser ‘I guess I won’t be getting promoted’

Certainly Fletcher's sacking of Andrew in the opening scene is simply the first of many examples, if one could be so polite, of his ‘teaching style’. Fletcher loves to tell, and for some strange reason adores, the made-up tale of Jo Jones hurling a cymbal at Charlie Parker during one of his, uh, performances, with the intent of mercilessly "killing" the artist that he once knew. Imagine: some history-altering cymbal was never thrown at some equally historical Charlie. If and had there been any chance of him returning home to a seemingly doting, gentle ‘caring’ set of parents, wouldn’t he have reengineered and practiced and rehearsed, fueled with the threat of violence bordering on primal aggression? Fletcher employs a different brand but equally crude treatment to his pupils. He physically assaults Andrew with endless repetitive drum solos until Andrew’s hands bleed into the kit, calls him horrible names, tortures his mind and brain with torturous reality games, and on rare occasions, tosses furniture about the room. Don’t worry though, the violence does serve a purpose. The young and grossly passive Andrew transforms: he asks out the shy girl he’s been daydreaming about, achieving the first chair at the primary ensemble in the best conservatory in America.

Miles Teller shines in his earlier standout performances in “Rabbit Hole” and “The Spectacular Now,” but here he gives the best work of his young career as Andrew, achieving the flawless amalgamation of insecurity and confidence that lies within a young adult's core. It is understandable that Andrew is cautious, but he simultaneously understands that he has a unique drive, passion, and skill. Teller walks that line; he doesn’t give Andrew too much self-assurance, but he makes sure to let the audience see the flicker of Fletcher’s encouragement that fuels his ambition.

When it comes to Simmons, Fletcher could easily have gone so much farther into caricature had he been played by the wrong actor. Having an obnoxiously bad Fletcher is a role full of traps. Simmons does not fall into any of them. He walks such a line that, even after the type of mind and physical abuse that should generate legal proceedings has played out on screen, we still... admire Fletcher. He’s not entirely inaccurate when he asserts that the most dangerous two words in the English language are “good job.” It doesn't matter if you believe this is a case of the right approach -- we live in a world where praise is rampant and what’s being taught is handing out medals for showing up. Have genuine talents been left to rot due to over watering? Simmons so perfectly embodies the zeal of a man who thinks his abusive pressure will transform a lump of coal into a diamond.

"Whiplash" is remarkable thanks to Joseph Gordon-Levitt and J.K. Simmons’ brilliant performances. But it reaches a different level of greatness when one considers its rhythm. Editor Tom Crossand Sharone Meir (his cinematographer) frequently place Andrew and Fletcher on stage along with the audience, cutting and panning in sync with the drum’s rhythm. This is nothing short of mesmerizing, especially in a climactic scene that creates more tension than any action or thriller film this year. The title refers to a song played multiple times throughout Chazelle’s film. It could also refer to that feeling of exhausted wonder from how impressive it's been, when the film ends.