This is an excellent film and will likely be in critics top ten at the end of the year. It should be nominated in awards season. JK Simmons for Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars hands down. Am I right in thinking this is a Supporting Role - or is it a Co-Lead role? Seems to me Miles Teller is the lead actor in the film.

However, as I felt the first time there are some mis-steps in the film. Spoilers below.

Would Fletcher have been able to get away with such treatment of his students for so long? I ask this as a non-American and don't know how stuff goes down at Colleges or Conservatories but there was a lot of blatant verbal bullying going on. Are students just expected to take it in high pressure environments? Fletcher slapping Andrew's face in front of everyone, is that realistic?

The part in the film where Andrew is promoted to main drummer, after he misplaces the previous drummer's sheet music is handled wrongly, it doesn't make sense that the sheet music can get lost/taken in a matter of moments. The way it should have been written is the original drummer loses the sheet music or Andrew loses it on purpose or Fletcher picks it up at the vending machine. The way it is portrayed as just getting lost in the film is weak.

The car crash is totally unnecessary and stretches the audiences belief - the situation should have been modified in the screenplay to make the same result - Andrew gets cut by Fletcher.

The third act is brilliant, especially with the plot swerve.

The camera work throughout the film is excellent. Chazelle is going to have a great career as a film maker.

As someone posted in this thread earlier this is the best action film of the year and there aren't even any explosions.