Birdman Or (The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance): Review
Michael Keaton plays an actor famous for portraying an iconic superhero – as he struggles to mount a Broadway play. In the days leading up to opening night, he battles his ego and attempts to recover his family, his career, and himself.
When you hear about what the film is about and the star of it your first thought goes to Batman obviously and I think that’s why this film works as well as it does. It feels somewhat personal or like you’re seeing the life of a fictional character but with a small piece of truth mixed in there. The main thing to remember and I hope people realize is that this is NOT a superhero film. Not one bit. Instead what we get is a man that is at odds with himself to try to become relevant again, especially after the Iron Mans and Captain Americas of the film industry. Keaton is powerhouse in the film and has so many great moments that are deep and profound but are actually funny as well. It really is the perfect balance. We all know that Emma Stone can do comedy and can do drama but when she does both she really shines. She can go from throwing out a punchline to a scene to getting uber serious and “in your face” with Keaton seamlessly. Edward Norton, in recent years, has been known to pick and choose his roles and for the most part he picks roles that are usually kind of eclectic. This role has him playing a guy that is kind of a self centered actor that only thinks about himself and I’m almost positive that every actor would love to play a role that is the stereotypical view of a celebrity turned up to 11. The truly impressive thing about the film is that it’s seemingly one long take. There were small edits here and there and a timelapse or two but they blended it so well that you couldn’t tell. The camera follows characters along during conversations and as they move from room to room. Not many films can pull this off (the only other I can think of is Silent House) but it is done terrifically here. This is a film that maybe only certain people will be able to appreciate for what kind of storytelling it puts out there but believe me, it’s worth watching. 8/10
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[…] I previously reviewed the film during it’s theatrical run. If you haven’t read it yet then you can check it out HERE […]