Wholly original and well played, with universal themes (if not universal appeal)

Rating: 8/10 (8 November 2014)

Ambitious, messy, confusing, over-the-top; there is merit in all of these criticisms, if you look at Birdman from the bottom up. Several issues loom, in that respect. For example, for an overly long two hours, viewers are forced to run through the claustrophobia-inducing hallways of a theater as a troupe of actors prepares to put on a play, despite infighting and other setbacks. Outside, the cinematography flows seamlessly, with brilliant effects, thanks to Emmanual Lubezki, but seemingly separate from a consistent story line. The actors and casting were spot on, if few characters are inherently likable (Ed Norton as antagonist Mike is as stereotypically self- absorbed as you'd expect any heralded celebrity to be, for example). Setting is fully familiar, with Broadway memorably represented, but related scenes, like protagonist Riggan (Michael Keaton) being forced to run through crowds in his underwear to make his stage scene on time, seem tacked on to add needed humor to a story about a man on the edge.
But what happens if you consider the plot from top down? What if, like a soaring Birdman, the Superhero that Riggan once so successfully and lucratively played on film, you could see Riggan's world all at once? Here's the essence of the story. A man who spent years being self deluded as to his own importance and place in the world attempting re-entry in his last viable years as a respectable stage actor. is going through a life transition to determine exactly what his final legacy will be. He desperately must reinvent himself for his daughter, Sam (waif-like Emma Stone), his ex-wife, his current girlfriend, and a harshly judgemental theater critic. It's his last gasp. He looks in the mirror repeatedly after removing all manner of wigs and disguises, only to see an aging face and vanishing capabilities. At the same time, his still-vibrant imagination convinces him that he can move objects, even hurl furniture at the walls, through sheer force of will. Decades ago, an obscure salesman named Willy Loman faced a similar challenge. In Miller's play, he clings to memories of long-ago but now irrelevant successes in order to believe, and convince others, that he still matters. Audiences rooted for Loman in all of his ego-blindedness and flaws, knowing he was, after all, Every Man. When do we say it's over? Wouldn't we really rather, as Riggan says passionately to his hostile critic, "kill ourselves" so that the play can go on? And so we can re-invent ourselves, before all the minutes run out?
This is the theme that pulls Birdman together in the end. Keaton, who was woefully under-appreciated in a number of roles--Clean and Sober is just one of many examples-- nails the essence of what director Inarritu has set out to do, above and beyond the flaws that sometimes occur when a talented director is overly ambitious. Sit back--be patient--look for the big picture--and look for solid mentions (in acting, cinematography) at Oscar time.