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Birdman: Or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance (2014)
Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Writers: Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone
Cast: Michael Keaton, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Emma Stone
Genre: Surrealism Drama
Premise: Rigan (Michael Keaton) is a middle aged, washed up Hollywood actor, who once was famous for playing a comic book superhero...Birdman. Twenty years after Birdman, Rigan is trying to redeem himself and relaunch his career by writing, directing and starring in a Broadway play.
Review: I went into watching Birdman with no knowledge of the film. I hadn't seen any clips or read any reviews. All I knew of the film was that: Michael Keaton was in it, the film had won a Best Picture Academy Award and there was something about tight-whitey underwear in it.
In the first 20 minutes I was unsure if I liked it. I admired the long take-documentary style of cinematography. The film looked great. I was a bit cool to the jazz drum soundtrack, at times it was overpowering. Mostly I was unsure of why and how Rigan could levitate? It seemed he had powers of telekinesis and could move objects in the room with a mere flick of a finger. The dialog with his alter ego, Birdman, was interesting. It helped define his character's neurosis. I began to enjoy the film when the camera revealed to the audience that the telekinesis was merely a visual of Rigan's mental state and no magic powers really existed.
I must say I liked the casting. Michael Keaton as a has-been, delusional actor with family issues...what a great choice. How cool to make a film about a once famous 'superhero' actor that's played by Batman's Michael Keaton. Reality based performances, that was discussed during the stage play by Mike (Edward Norton), the films seems to be written with Keaton's career in mind.
Edward Norton made a great character as Mike, the method actor that believes the stage is reality and life is fake. An interesting juxtaposition to the films subject matter of the nature of reality.
My favorite casting choice was Emma Stone who played Rigan's jaded, cynical daughter, Sam. Sam's life was messed up by her show business parents. Once drug addicted, Sam has just gotten herself clean and out of rehab. Her character looked the part. From her home bleach blonde hair to her dark make up and ratty...'I don't care what I look like' clothing. The wardrobe department deserves an award for her look.
By the one hour mark, when Rigan confronts a woman theater critic. I was loving this film. The most powerful scene is in the bar when Rigan buys the woman critic a drink and introduces himself. Flat out she says she's going to kill his play with a bad review, and she hasn't even seen it. I love how the film shows us how critics can be self indulgent, opinionated people who tout their skills by throwing out multi-syllable labels, ad nauseam and are driven by bitterness not professionalism. What a powerful scene. At this point I was thinking I would give a 5/5 rating to Birdman.
I did like the backstage theater scenes which gave a real incite into the working of a Broadway play. I've never been back stage but the sets looked very real to me. But one thing, Rigan walks down the hallway and in a little room is the guy playing the drums for the soundtrack. What? I scratched my head, shades of Monty Python.
A few minutes latter into the movie and Rigan is poised to jump off a building roof top. Then the film turned into an actually superhero film with Keaton and Birdman flying in the sky and explosions and the usually CG that goes with it. I felt let down, and thought there goes the perfect 5/5 rating.
Towards the end of the film when Rigan had shot off his nose and is laying in the hospital, I'm thinking where is the film going? Then he jumps out the window in an apparent suicide attempt...his daughter rushes to the window in horror and looks down to the street below...then looks up at the sky and smiles. I'm thinking ugh, not magical realism. The film credits role and I half expect to see Steven Spielberg's name somewhere.
Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Writers: Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone
Cast: Michael Keaton, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Emma Stone
Genre: Surrealism Drama
Premise: Rigan (Michael Keaton) is a middle aged, washed up Hollywood actor, who once was famous for playing a comic book superhero...Birdman. Twenty years after Birdman, Rigan is trying to redeem himself and relaunch his career by writing, directing and starring in a Broadway play.
Review: I went into watching Birdman with no knowledge of the film. I hadn't seen any clips or read any reviews. All I knew of the film was that: Michael Keaton was in it, the film had won a Best Picture Academy Award and there was something about tight-whitey underwear in it.
In the first 20 minutes I was unsure if I liked it. I admired the long take-documentary style of cinematography. The film looked great. I was a bit cool to the jazz drum soundtrack, at times it was overpowering. Mostly I was unsure of why and how Rigan could levitate? It seemed he had powers of telekinesis and could move objects in the room with a mere flick of a finger. The dialog with his alter ego, Birdman, was interesting. It helped define his character's neurosis. I began to enjoy the film when the camera revealed to the audience that the telekinesis was merely a visual of Rigan's mental state and no magic powers really existed.
I must say I liked the casting. Michael Keaton as a has-been, delusional actor with family issues...what a great choice. How cool to make a film about a once famous 'superhero' actor that's played by Batman's Michael Keaton. Reality based performances, that was discussed during the stage play by Mike (Edward Norton), the films seems to be written with Keaton's career in mind.
Edward Norton made a great character as Mike, the method actor that believes the stage is reality and life is fake. An interesting juxtaposition to the films subject matter of the nature of reality.
My favorite casting choice was Emma Stone who played Rigan's jaded, cynical daughter, Sam. Sam's life was messed up by her show business parents. Once drug addicted, Sam has just gotten herself clean and out of rehab. Her character looked the part. From her home bleach blonde hair to her dark make up and ratty...'I don't care what I look like' clothing. The wardrobe department deserves an award for her look.
By the one hour mark, when Rigan confronts a woman theater critic. I was loving this film. The most powerful scene is in the bar when Rigan buys the woman critic a drink and introduces himself. Flat out she says she's going to kill his play with a bad review, and she hasn't even seen it. I love how the film shows us how critics can be self indulgent, opinionated people who tout their skills by throwing out multi-syllable labels, ad nauseam and are driven by bitterness not professionalism. What a powerful scene. At this point I was thinking I would give a 5/5 rating to Birdman.
I did like the backstage theater scenes which gave a real incite into the working of a Broadway play. I've never been back stage but the sets looked very real to me. But one thing, Rigan walks down the hallway and in a little room is the guy playing the drums for the soundtrack. What? I scratched my head, shades of Monty Python.
A few minutes latter into the movie and Rigan is poised to jump off a building roof top. Then the film turned into an actually superhero film with Keaton and Birdman flying in the sky and explosions and the usually CG that goes with it. I felt let down, and thought there goes the perfect 5/5 rating.
Towards the end of the film when Rigan had shot off his nose and is laying in the hospital, I'm thinking where is the film going? Then he jumps out the window in an apparent suicide attempt...his daughter rushes to the window in horror and looks down to the street below...then looks up at the sky and smiles. I'm thinking ugh, not magical realism. The film credits role and I half expect to see Steven Spielberg's name somewhere.