8 Films From 2015 That Will Be Viewed As Classics In Years To Come
6. Whiplash
Because: It presents the artistic struggle and the strive for greatness in a way which will make you question its very nature. One of the best depictions of the artistic struggle ever seen on screen, Whiplash is an intense experience, a kind-of two man play that boasts one of the great film endings of the decade. Bolstered by two absolute powerhouse performances from Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons (the latter of whom won an Oscar for his work here), the film presents Andrews (Teller) self-destructive mission to become a great jazz drummer, pushed all the way by Simmons Fletcher, one of the most brutal, borderline psychopathic teachers in recent memory. The notion of this strive for greatness - of the sacrifice of everything for the perfection of your art - is difficult and abstract, and it remains that Genius is a hard thing to capture on film. Whiplash succeeds because it presents Andrews progression as exactly that: a progression: a slow, unrelenting, soul destroying journey. There is no spark, no eureka moment, and Andrews stunning performance at the end of the film is born more out of practice and hatred than it is inspiration or love. Most films in the 'Genius' genre present the struggle as ultimately worth it because at the end something beautiful or transcendent or innovative has been created, and Whiplash doesnt drift too far from this narrative - indeed, Andrews end-product is a spectacular culmination of his hard work. But what sets it apart is its utter refusal to present the work as fulfilling or even satisfying. This is genius as youve never seen it before; this is genius which is primarily ugly.
