Birdman, or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance):
Riggan Thomson is a washed-up actor who used to play a superhero named "Birdman" back in the 80's and 90's. While those films were very popular and people still recognize him on the street, Thomson feels very irrelevant in the acting world and decides to write, direct, and star in a respectable Broadway play to reenter the public consciousness in a new way. But numerous problems with the cast, crew, and production start to lead to Thomson losing a grip on himself. Not to mention he constantly hears the voice of Birdman in the back of his head, pushing him to do crazy things, and Thomson also may or may not have supernatural powers.
This is a movie that sounds very scattered and strange on paper, but somehow manages to be funny, endearing, dark, and original. In fact, when I first saw the trailer, I was like "This is one of those art movies that can't get over itself." It just looked like another pretentious attack on the movie industry and where it is today. And, like John Wick, how wrong I was.
Michael Keaton's performance as Thomson is top-notch and very easy to empathize with. You definitely feel his frustration and pain as this dream project of his begins to fall to pieces around him. And one can't help but feel the irony of Keaton playing a somewhat forgotten Hollywood actor who played a superhero in the early 90's trying to make a comeback as an actor. Edward Norton is a dynamo in this movie as well, playing a very talented, but also pretentious and eccentric, Broadway actor who Thomson brings into the project at the last minute. Also ironic considering the various rumors that Norton is hard to work with on set. But all that aside, Norton is able to be quirky, funny, and unpredictable in this. Zach Galifianakis plays Riggan's "best friend" Jake, who is also his lawyer and basically also functions as his manager. Galifianakis doesn't over-do his performance but manages to still deliver those awkward moments and funny lines he's known for. Emma Stone, who plays Riggan's daughter, is also pretty terrific, and this is coming from a guy who's never really been a fan of her. She delivers a really great and intense speech to Thomson early on that's very impacting. Amy Ryan (The Wire, The Office), Andrea Riseborough, Naomi Watts, and Lindsay Duncan all have strong supporting roles in this film, and while not standing out like the others do, they all were satisfactory and filled their roles well. The one exception is the last one in that list. Duncan plays a harsh theater critic in this movie, and while she only has a few scenes, she's very memorable, and the dialogue between her and Keaton near the film's climax is a powerful and pretty interesting deconstruction of a certain sect of the critic world usually dubbed "snobbish".
This is a movie with a lot of ideas, and it's a brilliant black comedy and satire of things like self-absorbed and over-serious actors, dealing with a mid-life crisis, celebrities trying to stay relevant, art critics, entertainment journalism in general, Hollywood blockbusters and where they are now, etc. That's a lot to pack into a two-hour film, but González Iñárritu does it brilliantly and never does the film feel too crammed.
The visual effects in the movie are used sparingly, but when they are employed, they are actually very good, possibly on-par with summer blockbusters, and I was happy with the various ways they were utilized.
One aspect of the movie everyone talks about is how it's made to look like it's in one, long, fluid shot. It's done very convincingly through clever editing and long takes, and the entire movie is a technical feat for that. This way of filming also gives the film a brisk pace, and adds a lot of energy to the film, making it feel very free-flowing, as well as chaotic during some intense dramatic scenes. This chaos also helps us feel for Keaton as he deals with it all, and the cinematography feeling unpredictable also relates to the unpredictability of Keaton's increasingly stressed-out character.
The score for this film by Antonio Sánchez is also very fresh and unlike anything else. It's entirely done on drums, and feels very improvised, like much of the film, but in a good way. It's also very unpredictable, like the plot and characters, and adds to the sense of craziness. Unlike the film, the drumming is very simplistic, but like the film, it's very intriguing and sucks you in. The film also sneaks in drum-related imagery into many scenes, which I found clever, and it provides the viewer something to look for on repeat viewings. I really loved this soundtrack and can't wait to buy it.
Birdman is a marvel of modern filmmaking, and I want to see it again very soon. I'll admit, I haven't seen any other films from González Iñárritu, but I've heard great things, and after seeing this film, I can't wait to see his other work. This is a movie that's very unusual and I think sometimes too weird for the average movie-goer, but if you love cinema, or art in general. If you love great acting and writing, or if you appreciate cinematography, then this is definitely a must-see. 5/5 stars.
(Image: Wikipedia)
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