Whiplash

I think of this movie and my heart starts racing – it was that intense!  J.K. Simmons was amazing as an over-the-top instructor at a music school who will stop at nothing to bring out the full potential of any student in which he can see “greatness.”  His methods were VERY extreme, but I can see where he was coming from and what he was trying to accomplish with the students.  The story revolves around the teacher, Fletcher, and a young drummer named Andrew that wants to be one of the best ever, and becomes one of the chosen few to be allowed into an elite band conducted by Fletcher.  It becomes a battle of wills and you’re never quite sure where either one stands with the other, which I really enjoyed!  Maybe it’s because I related to the parts of being in a band so much, but I lost myself completely in the story and it made me want to strive for more in my own life and see what I’m capable of, too!