First off, the acting was brilliant. There was such tension between the 2 main actors and I felt a real sense of unease whenever they were together, which did not let up throughout the whole film. The music and drumming was enjoyable, but often a bit tedious. The repetitiveness of it though does add to the dynamic between the 2 characters, where Fletcher the conductor doesn't accept anything less than his own absolute perfect.

The side characters such as Andrew's dad and the girl of interest weren't featured enough to have much of an impact on the story, except for that their scenes together made me care less for Andrew. I kept questioning throughout the film his and the rest of the band's dedication and allegiance to Fletcher. As if Fletcher alone is the be-all and end-all of their careers as jazz musicians. It just didn't seem realistic.

There were enjoyable aspects of the film, but I didn't feel there was enough of a plot development, or the development it did have I found myself questioning or thinking it didn't flow well with the characters.