One of the best movies 2014 has to offer and one of my all time personal favorites

Rating: 9/10 (15 November 2014)

Birdman, to put it simply, was exhausting to watch. I don't mean this in a negative way - in fact, it's a compliment. There really aren't words potent enough to describe how masterful the directing, cinematography, and editing are. Birdman is a masterclass of technical marvels - marvels that aren't in your face screaming, "Look at how amazing this movie is!". Birdman is a film of subtlety; its message and themes may be hard to grasp but once you grab hold, it's nothing short of an extraordinary ride.
Emmanuel Lubezki. This man is a god of modern day cinematography. Lubezki has outdone himself again after his (stunning) work on last year's "Gravity" (which won him an Oscar as well as dozens of other awards) and 2006's fantastically shot "Children of Men". Throughout the entire main story of Birdman, the camera. Never. Cuts. Or so it appears that way, thanks to ingenious strokes of editing mastery. Films have attempted long shots in the past, one of the most famous being the tracking shot from Scorsese's "Goodfellas". Imagine a shot done just as well, if not better, and with so many intricacies but throughout the entire film. It's jaw-dropping. It makes everything seem so real and focused, and, as a result of this, exhausting to watch. It thrusts the audience into the picture; we are living and breathing in the movie along with the characters. This is a fare feat in film making. It's been done, sure, but not in this way. Not in a way so clever and genius yet simple and subtle.
Alejandro González Iñárritu brings more complexity but seemingly simplistic talent to Birdman with his excellent direction. He knows exactly what needs to be done, how it needs to be done, and when it needs to be done. It's brilliant and thoroughly entertaining.
Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, and Emma Stone all give the best performances of their careers, which is especially notable for Norton given his past works. It never feels like they're are acting; they feel like real people. The performances are, once again, subtle and incredibly natural giving everything a more genuine feel. The rest of the cast is great as well but don't standout as much.
Birdman is a simple movie, or it appears that way. Underneath it's a complex beast full of ideology and philosophy about life, the people we spend life with, and, most importantly, who we ourselves are. It also spends a fair amount of time analyzing what the film industry has become as well as what impact critics have on both artists and audiences. It's a fascinating study of modern society.
If someone were to ask me what Birdman was about I'd tell them it's really just a simple metaphor of life itself. Its beautiful, sad, funny, and enormously rewarding. I couldn't recommend this movie enough. If you're looking for that sense of wonder you haven't felt in cinemas in quite some time, look no further; Birdman came to save you!