Under the direction of a ruthless instructor, a talented young drummer begins to pursue perfection at any cost, even his humanity.
Miles Teller
Andrew
J.K. Simmons
Fletcher
Paul Reiser
Jim
Melissa Benoist
Nicole
Austin Stowell
Ryan
Nate Lang
Carl
Chris Mulkey
Uncle Frank
Damon Gupton
Mr. Kramer
Suanne Spoke
Aunt Emma
Max Kasch
Dorm Neighbor
Charlie Ian
Dustin
Jayson Blair
Travis
Kofi Siriboe
Bassist (Nassau)
Kavita Patil
Assistant - Sophie
C.J. Vana
Metz
Tarik Lowe
Pianist (Studio Band)
Tyler Kimball
Saxophonist #2 (Studio Band)
Rogelio Douglas Jr.
Trumpeter #1 (Studio Band)
Adrian Burks
Trumpeter #2 (Studio Band)
Calvin C. Winbush
Saxophonist (Studio Band)
Joseph Bruno
Technician (Overbrook) - Mike
Michael D. Cohen
Stage Hand (Overbrook)
Jocelyn Ayanna
Passerby (Bus Station)
Keenan Henson
Truck Driver
Janet Hoskins
Passerby (Dunellen)
April Grace
Rachel Bornholdt
Clifton 'Fou Fou' Eddie
Drummer (Quartet)
Marcus Henderson
Bassist (JVC)
Tony Baker
Stage Hand (Carnegie Hall)
Henry G. Sanders
Red Henderson
Sam Campisi
Andrew (8 years old)
Jimmie Kirkpatrick
Nassau Trumpeter #2
Keenan Allen
Studio Core Member #1
Ayinde Vaughan
Studio Core Member #2
Shai Golan
Studio Core Member #3
Yancey Wells
Studio Core Member #4
Candace Roberge
Student #1
Krista Kilber
Student #2
Stephen Hsu
JVC Guitarist (uncredited)
Herman Johansen
Music Competition Judge (uncredited)
Wendee Lee
Audience Member (uncredited)
Joseph Oliveira
Bartender (uncredited)
Michelle Ruff
Audience Member (uncredited)
Daniel Weidlein
Studio Band Saxophone Player (uncredited)
Director, Original Film Writer, Writer
Damien Chazelle
January 28, 2015
DISGUSTING NONSENSE...
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
I find it very sad that so many people - including so-called professional reviewers - have rated this crap so highly. I did not walk out (although I was greatly tempted to do so) but saw it to the end. A total waste of time.
Here's what might spoil it for you, should you believe the BS that's being spread around this stinking pile of excrement: It could have actually been OK if it hadn't been so laughably impossibly ridiculous. Perhaps if it had been set in the fifties or the forties when people had much less developed consciousness of human rights? But even so...
I suppose the moral/lesson we are supposed to learn is... if you can't warp your students enough by abuse to force them to become great musicians then it is perfectly alright to discard or destroy them in the attempt.
This glorified tyrant and bully can himself only produce music at a grade one level and so because he cannot 'do' he 'teaches?'
He does not teach, he does not inspire; he withholds approval, negatively reinforces and rules by fear, and is feared rather than respected. I would have a difficult time to point to a single (pedagogical) scene in the film that had any merit whatsoever or was worth watching for any reason. Maybe I should say that its evident popularity may be evidence that we are truly living in the end times... ha!
See the film if you want to be current, but please decide for yourself from watching it and don't believe the hype about its 'genius' or 'brilliance.' It is not either of those things; it's a poorly written, sad joke.
I would expect that those people who rate it so highly A) want to seem cool because 'it's about jazz' B) have never actually been in a teacher/student situation and therefore, can only imagine how its done C) see all the other positive reviews and so must follow the herd D) don't really know their ass from their elbow or E) thought the the actor had truly grown because in Spiderman he only yell, but it THIS one, he throws chairs.... or F) all of the above.
Save your money or see something uplifting instead rather than this horseshit.