Whiplash (dir. Damien Chazelle).

This is one of the most dramatically violent films of the year. The way Chazelle uses jazz to express uncompromising creative artistry is exceptional. Miles Teller tempers his natural charisma to give a fluidly determined and sympathetic portrait of a young musician obsessively trying to master every aspect of playing the drums. His performance, in the face of J.K. Simmons as that of a tyrant and musical disciplinarian, is superb.