Brilliant acting, but an undeserving Best Picture

Rating: 3/10 (7 March 2015)

I signed up for this site a few minutes ago to share some thoughts about Birdman.
I just came home from seeing this movie. My first act was to Google: WTF happened in Birdman? I do like movies that make me think. But with the magical realism, it took me to a series of possibilities unable to make any sort of conclusion. Perhaps my linear train of thought needed to be shaken up, and this was the Director's clever way of taking me inside the mind of a suicidal schizophrenic.
The best part of this movie was the acting. The worst part of the movie was the soundtrack. The staccato drumming seriously effed with my brain waves, and distracted from the film. I don't think the screenplay was very good. I do feel rather clobbered with the clever camera-work, it didn't seem a means to an end, it for me became a means in displaying technical prowess at the expense of sharing the story.
In the hype before Oscar week, I heard that the Voting Academy was made up of white 60ish year old males. Perhaps they saw themselves in so much of Michael Keaton's performance? Perhaps their vote was a big eff you to the consuming audience. Yes, there was much pretension in this film. Please please please, Hollywood, diversify your voting board.
Life isn't all sunshine and lollipops. Can't a gripping story speak for itself? Do we really need to have the message beaten into us? Is there no room for subtlety and nuance?
Honestly? Snicker snicker, we the consumers are poked fun at with our craving for violence, and expensive overblown superhero type movies. But we are given back a very forced and contrived version of a reality. And the last laugh is on is, because it wins best picture.