I f I ever get this obsessed or passionate, I hope that it will be over someone I have a close relationship with and definitely not a career like is the case for Andrew (Miles Teller) and his instructor Fletcher (J.K. Simmons). Andrew, a first year jazz student at the best music school in the country goes overboard with his love for drumming and desire to become one of the greatest drummers in the world.
He practices all the time hoping to be discovered by famed jazz conductor, Fletcher. He is spotted and recruited. Then the conductor turns out to be something else, he is abusive to his students, mocks and even insults them.
All Fletcher cares about is the students’ success as jazz players and nothing to do with their emotional being and social life. Everyone that has gone through his class seems to suffer from depression and anxiety. It is so bad that his best former student commits suicide.
But even when Andrew hears about this, he still thinks that it is better to die without friends but always be talked about as a legend but it is not such a great thing if only your friends remember you.
It, therefore, doesn’t surprise when Andrew breaks up with his girlfriend and turns to drumming nonstop. When his fingers bleed, he adds an extra bandage and drums away letting the drums consume his life, leading him into depression and hoping for victory – legendary victory. This is such a sad movie. I hope that if anything, it teaches the significance of friendship. That said, Andrew plays pretty well and so does Fletcher even though he cuts a comic figure initially.
