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Birdman




Birdman review part one (after first viewing)

I saw Birdman last night, and I still don't quite know what to think. Hell, I don't even know where to start. Birdman is such an overwhelming experience and there's so much to take in that I don't know where to begin. So, I guess that's where I'll start. There is so much going on in Birdman that it's hard to know where to look. Should I look at the actors and see what they're doing? Or should I be admiring this camerawork and taking in everything around the actors? How is Michael Keaton floating? What was that in the background, oh too late we already moved past it. These are the kind of things I was thinking in the theater. You see, some people say that the first quarter of the movie or the first hour is made to look like it was done in one shot. Well that's wrong, because the whole movie is like that. A constantly moving camera that seems to float magically like a ghost from scene to scene. While this is extremely impressive and definitely gives Birdman an artistic edge, it can at times be distracting. The movie is so fast paced that it's really difficult to take it all in and get a firm grasp on everything. It's so hard to really talk about Birdman in segments like camerawork and story and acting, because they all seem to blend as one in this film. It's all a fluid motion. So, please excuse this very strange segway. The acting was very good in Birdman. Every performance is fantastic. Emma Stone and Keaton were especially great, but everyone brought their A-game for this film. Only problem is that it's hard to really take in all the great acting when there is so much else going on. I don't know what to say about the story. In the end, I came out confused, and didn't know what to think. That's all that I will say about the story for now. I'm going to have to see Birdman again before I really give it a solid rating. I need to take this movie bit by bit, looking at something different each time. It's so overwhelming the first time. Next time I see it, I need to try and analyze the story to try and understand it's symbolism and deeper meaning.

This will be my "consensus" for now.

Birdman is an astounding achievement. It is undoubtedly a work of art and a film that will be studied for years and years. This is not a film that gets easily forgotten. That being said, I don't think I understood it. I did not necessarily enjoy it all that much, but my eyes were constantly on the screen. I'm not even sure if I liked it. But there's no doubt in my mind that I have to see it again. Was this one of my "favorite movies of the year"? Probably not, because I didn't enjoy it immensely. I respect it immensely. It is definitely a groundbreaking film. One that will be remembered and discussed in film classes for years. I just need more time to comprehend it's meaning and figure out if I like what it's trying to say before I give it a rating.