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Double Bass Anyone seen Whiplash?

J

jloehrke

Dec 23, 2010
65
16
#1
I thought it was an awful film. Really corny, unrealistic, and unbelievable. The whole vibe of the movie was much more like I picture drum and bugle corps or marching band than jazz. Am I wrong? I'm an old fart who came up before jazz was taught in college. Is this at all like what's going on in schools these days? I've never seen a depiction of jazz even in the worst Hollywood crap that had less African-American feeling to it. The film has gotten rave reviews, tho. In one that I read the critic said that he usually hates jazz, but he loved the music in the movie.
 
#2
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#3
jloehrke said:
I thought it was an awful film. Really corny, unrealistic, and unbelievable. The whole vibe of the movie was much more like I picture drum and bugle corps or marching band than jazz. Am I wrong? I'm an old fart who came up before jazz was taught in college. Is this at all like what's going on in schools these days? I've never seen a depiction of jazz even in the worst Hollywood crap that had less African-American feeling to it. The film has gotten rave reviews, tho. In one that I read the critic said that he usually hates jazz, but he loved the music in the movie.
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The one clip I've seen looks cheesy. I noticed a part of the scene didn't match the soundtrack.

I've found that when a movie is supposed to be about music, and the director can't, or doesn't bother to, get the technical aspects of musicmaking right, then there's little chance he's going to get the deeper aspects of it right.
 
#6
There's a nice review in an interview with Peter Erskine (who was one of the technical consultants), I haven't seen the film (and have no real desire to) but, according to him, the one aspect of music making that seems to be entirely absent is JOY. and if they missed that, they kind of missed everything.
If anyone hasn't seen Invalid Link Removed, I'd recommend it. It has the added advantage of being fact, not fiction...
 
#7
Erskine is spot on, its unforgivable flaw is being utterly devoid of the joy that drives us. It's a shallow coach/quarterback story ineptly shoehorned onto a music school scenario. A couple of times I just about walked out and when it got to the punchline I really wished I had. It's bad enough that someone thinks this violent self serving farce is truth but to end by vindicating and condoning it is horrifying. I shoulda just gone for a shaging walk instead....

The Chops documentary looks much more interesting.
 
#8
I rather liked it. And it's a tale of power and control, hero worship, burning ambition, following your dreams, the agony of competition and so on. It just happens to be set in a music school. It could have been set in any educational institution.

I thought the cinematography and editing was very interesting. It brought out the inner turmoil of performing when you think your career is on the line.

They could have trained the actor who was fake playing the double bass in the last scene though. He had one line of speech so I guess they would have had to hire an actor due to union rules.
 
#12
Meh. The last thing I think our music needs is glory through machismo, hazing, and uber-zealots.

Yes, the trailers are devoid of joy, humor, and humanity which is what music should be all about. Doesn't seem an enjoyable flick - I already stress enough about life, I don't need to watch a movie to get more of it.
 

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