In this episode Mark talks about one of his favourite films: the 2014 American drama film "Whiplash", written and directed by Damien Chazelle, about the relationship between an ambitious and talented jazz drummer, Andrew Neiman (played by Miles Teller) - a first year student at the prestigious Schaffer Conservatory in New York City - and the perfectionist Conservatory Studio bandleader, Terence Fletcher (played by J.K. Simmons) - who is notorious for pushing his students to their limits and subjecting them to psychological and emotional abuse. At first, Miles is a well-mannered, caring, joyful young man who likes going to the movies with his father, Jim Neiman (played by Paul Reiser) and who noticeably shy and awkward around Nicole (played by Melissa Benoist), who is a movie theater concessionist who becomes Andrew's girlfriend after he finally asks he out on a date. However, the more intense and visceral Andrew's experiences with his bandleader, Terence Fletcher, are, and the more obsessed and consumed with achieving perfection Andrew becomes, the more that he sacrifices his sanity as well as his relationships with those who care about him the most in order to become the best jazz drummer that he can be.
