Bared man screeches for birdseed, gets pecked instead.

Rating: 4/10 (5 January 2015)

Fine actors, intense performances, set in a classic Broadway theater, together with very clever camera work and a fractured storyline, all come together to produce a "masterpiece" of cinematic cacophony. Meaning an extremely harsh, discordant mixture of sights and sounds. From the opening credits, a drummer (think of an eleven year old in the garage with a new drum set) bangs away, insuring a certain amount of distraction no matter what you think of the movie...
So, we meet Riggan (MIchael Keaton), a very successful Hollywood super hero (Birdman) who has come to NYC to direct and act in his own Broadway play. He has great hopes, but pulling this off will not be easy. His wide-eyed, bratty daughter, Sam (Emma Stone), just out of rehab, lurks in the wings and does her best to remind him of his shortcomings, as well as flirt with Mike (Edward Norton), the play's obnoxious male lead. Riggan's girlfriend, Laura (Andrea Riseborough), does not feel loved, and wants more attention. And, here are others sapping Riggan of what energy he has left, and we wonder how will he survive, let alone open a successful play.
But Riggan has something of an ace up his sleeve; he possesses special powers. Think moving things at a distance as in telekinesis. We see this power whenever he is angry and he uses it to destroy things in his office. Think also of defying gravity. In the beginning we see Riggan sitting in air, perhaps meditating on the challenge before him. What else might Riggan be able to do? The answer more or less allows the story to reach a conclusion, sort of.
Never mind the fractured story line, and din of the drums, the main problem with this movie is the difficulty in liking anyone. For me, the one scene worth seeing again is the bar confrontation between the NYT critic, Tabitha (Lindsay Duncan) and Riggan. Don't get up and leave until you see it. You just might get behind Riggan after he rebuts her major put down of him and his play.
But don't bet on it! Masterpiece? I think not. More, missed a piece!