Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!

Rating: 9/10 (20 November 2014)

Sweet baby Jesus where do I even begin my appraisal and admonition of this masterpiece of cinema? Should I start with the masterfully crafted totally original story? Or maybe the brilliant screen writing that perfectly blends existential drama with pop culture savvy? Or perhaps the cavalcade of stellar performances coming from every direction? Or maybe even the groundbreaking cinematography that presents possibly the best use of a steadi-cam ever conceived? No, you know what? I'll make it simple. I'll start out by saying that Birdman is good. Really. REALLY. Good. In 1989 Michael Keaton quickly jumpstarted his way to fame in Tim Burton's revered Batman film, which he followed up with Batman Returns. Ever since, Keaton's career has gone through it's ups and downs, his name slowly slipping away from household notoriety. And now he stars in Birdman as Riggan Thompson, an actor whose life suspiciously follows a very similar path to Keaton's. Riggan is an actor who garnered his fame by playing the fictional superhero Birdman. Years after the success of this franchise dwindles Riggan finds himself a wash-up, trying to validate himself by producing, writing, directing, and starring in his own stage play which he hopes can make it to Broadway. Meanwhile Riggan's friends, ex-wife, daughter, colleagues, bitter rivals, and the voices in his head all stand to help or hurt him in reaching this goal.
Rarely do I walk out of a film as excited as I was after leaving Birdman. I don't remember the last time I had such an immediately positive reaction to a film where I was able to so quickly come to the conclusion that what I had just watched was an absolute masterpiece for the ages. Birdman left me with a sense of joy, excitement, and an overall feeling of inspiration and true genuine wonderment. Birdman is genius. Birdman is astounding. Birdman is brilliant. Birdman is, dare I say it, perfect. OK, maybe not perfect, but pretty damn close. Birdman exemplifies some of the most incredible original storytelling in one of the most inventive and revolutionary ways I've had the pleasure of witnessing in years. It brilliantly takes such a simple story and adds so many ingenious plot devices and visual elements that make this one of the most unique films I've ever seen. It's a story that introduces us to many eccentric characters, some lovable, others hateable on such an entertaining level. It then takes these characters and weaves them into a wacky and weird tale of love, life, jealousy, and ambition that has an offbeat unconventional atmosphere that perfectly matches the strangeness of the characters, all backed by the smooth flow of the visual style that strings us along through this wild fantastic ride.
No words I can write on this site give Birdman the justice it deserves. This is simply just something that has to be experienced. Birdman takes you on such a magnificent journey through drama, comedy, existential crisis, and even a bit of fantasy to add yet another incredible visual element. Birdman is a photorealistic painting that, the longer you stare at it, starts to become this bizarre surreal art piece in a league of its own. I don't even want to explain what the hell that means. I just want you to experience it
Seeing Birdman might be the biggest favor you can do yourself this year. It exceeds expectations on every level, and honestly provides you with one of the most unique cinematic experiences you've ever had. I believe Birdman has the power to change the way we think about film and entertainment. It's going to make waves, and for a damn good reason.