I Absolutely Loved BIRDMAN; a New Personal Favorite

Rating: 10/10 (15 October 2015)

I loved BIRDMAN. In the interest of saving space, I won't be referring to it with the extended subtitle: THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE. But, yeah, I loved this movie. After a few viewings, I've got no issue counting it among my all-time favorites. I know the movie has gained a reputation as being "pretentious" (that adjective has been thrown around a lot) with its heart-on-its-sleeve art house style, but I don't see that. I just see an energetic film with some good laughs and emotional moments. The insane amount of planning that went into the film to create the illusion of having been done in a single take is just an added level of respect. Whether this movie was written with Michael Keaton in mind is outside my scope of knowledge, but the role is certainly perfect for him. Keaton stars in the film as Riggan Thomson, an actor best known for his series of BIRDMAN comic movies. Thomson is getting older and attempting to leave his former rubber-suit days behind him; to do so, he has put all of his hope and resources into a stage play where he hopes to salvage his legacy and leave his mark on the world of art. There are only three days left until the big opening night and everything that can do wrong is going wrong. As it all begins to fall apart, his mind starts to unravel and he finds himself tormented with hallucinations of his most iconic movie roleBirdman.
Where to begin.? This movie really was phenomenal. It's got a nonstop energy to it. The camera is near constantly moving and scene transitions are accomplished by following a character to the next scene, as opposed to the usual editing. Gimmick or not, writer/director Alejandro González Iñárritu's choice to present the movie as one long uninterrupted take is impressive. You know it took an incredible level of choreography, long rehearsals, and multiple takes to pull it off so everyone on the cast and crew deserves major credit for it. The film injects an extra energy boost with its jazz drum soundtrack that plays over the duration. The movie just flies along and you can't help but caught up in it all. In this viewer's opinion, BIRDMAN is a piece of masterful filmmaking, adept at grabbing the audience's interest and not letting up until the credits roll two hours later. Technical end aside, BIRDMAN works as well as it does because of its incredible casting. At its core, I suppose the movie is equal parts black comedy and drama. There is definitely some serious material in here and a lot of the conflict comes from Riggan's family life but, no sooner than you are beaten down with a heart-wrenching father/daughter argument, you are right back into the comical insanity of Riggan's ongoing mental war with his alter ego or getting a kick out of Edward Norton's onstage antics as diva method actor that nearly brings the entire play to its knees.
This is the best I've ever seen Michael Keaton on screen. Granted, the role seems an obvious fit for a man who became a superstar in part due to his role as Batman in 1989 and 1992. He's fantastic in BIRDMAN and can portray a descent into madness with the best of them. But I have to say, no matter what was happening on screen or how Keaton was playing it, I always saw him as Michael Keaton. He never quite disappeared into the role. Keaton definitely has a style to his performances and all of his usual quirks are on full display. This isn't to take anything away from his performance. He was still amazing. It was just as if I was watching an alternate history Michael Keaton biopic, starring himself. Edward Norton is a scene-stealer as Mike Shiner, a last minute replacement in Riggan's cast who lives and breaths theater. Shiner is the ultimate method actor. When his character is supposed to be drunk on gin, he demands to be drunk on real gin. His character featured in a love scene? Why not have sex on stage? He's a basket case but he sells tickets, and Riggan needs him. Shiner is such a problem that he crosses just about everyone on cast and crew at some point, only seeming to find a connection with Riggan's daughter Sam (Emma Stone). I'm actually surprised Stone didn't get more awards for her role in BIRDMAN. It's more intense than anything I'm accustomed to seeing her in. Sam is a recovering drug addict, fresh from rehab and working on her father's play in an effort to help her stay clean. She harbors resentment toward her celebrity father who was never really there for her, and she has an incredible scene in the middle of the movie where she tears into him for his obsession and just leaves you speechless.
There are a myriad of reasons I could recommend BIRDMAN. It's scored some major awards and received loads of mainstream success, and it was all well deserved. It's a creative endeavor that most directors would've go out of their way for in modern film and it's pulled off with perfection. I love BIRDMAN and recommend it to anyone that hasn't yet had an opportunity to see it. Whether you find that you love or hate it, it's worth watching to see where you stand.