I Can Totally See Where You're Coming From

Rating: 8/10 (23 February 2015)

"Birdman" is an outrageously divisive film.
Par for the course, I know, especially for an Oscar winner, but what I found peculiar about this particular case is the fact that this is a film I love that I could see myself absolutely hating if it was even slightly different or if I had a minutely altered mindset while watching it, and I don't mean this as an "only I can appreciate true art" stab at "da hayturz" (I honestly wouldn't do that to detractors or fans of the films/books I most overtly adore or despise; it's unbearably petty, arrogant and close-minded), but as a comment on the bizarre effect this one had on me.
What I mean by this is that, in my view, "Birdman" is an extremely inventive, entertaining and funny film undercut with a cynical streak that borders on condescension, and as a result the film spends its entire running time walking the tightrope that separates insight from self-importance, a mean-spirited attack on every entertainment industry in the world from a love-letter to theater and a borderline canonization of the individual killed by the industry that chewed him up and spat him out, and by the vicarious audience who deserted him.
Very good arguments can be made for either camp, and I have seen intelligent people defend both stances. what tips my personal scales toward favouring the "yiss" side is the generous peppering of self-deprecating humour throughout the film's running time. Mind you, I am not stating that a film not taking itself very seriously automatically makes it good, but "Birdman" has a refreshing penchant for deflating itself just at the right time, and this eases a lot of the (genuine) grievances people might have with it to the point where they virtually become non-issues to me.
Frankly, the only piece of advice I can give to anyone watching it is not to take the whole thing too seriously. The writers certainly didn't.