Super-Realism

Rating: 8/10 (24 January 2015)

Reviewers Note: My entire review was erased somehow, so this is a shortened version.
Birman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) is the type of innovated filmmaking that feels so fresh and necessary in todays age of Hollywood. I think the argument of the film being conceited is valid at times. But Alejandro González Iñárritu just does a tremendous job at creating a new story for us all to remember and recognize come awards season.
Michael Keaton plays a washed up actor who used to play a superhero. Only he's trying to reinvent his career and life on stage at the same time as attempting to rekindle his family life. The film comments a lot on where Hollywood is today, and basically how far we have come. Is that a good thing? Well in the directors eyes it seems it is not. Superhero films have taken over film, but I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. People love watching them and they are consistently some of the most critically acclaimed films of the year. So in that sense I think Birdman got it wrong.
The film does take full advantage of it's cast and crew however. Each cast member feeds perfectly well off each other and translates into several Oscar caliber performances. Iñárritu nails the directing, and Lubezki will and should win another cinematography Oscar. I don't agree with everything that the film is saying, but I think it gave us a sense of just how insane some people become with fame.
+Ensemble cast
+Seamless directing
+Innovative cinematography
+Original story
-Conceited at times
8.8/10