The Unexpected Flow of Elegance

Rating: 8/10 (13 August 2019)

And I did get what I wanted from this film, even so. Having heard of this film and its continuous uncut structure, I remained skeptical, but left pleasantly surprised. Innaritu is able to deliver such a captivating story with twists and turns and progress despite it never feeling like there is a break in the action or a moment to catch your breath. This constant continuity kept me riveted and focused on what was happening, always curious to see that next "scene". In a way, this unbroken stream also creates an anxiety that allows the audience to really get inside Riggan's mind and feel what he is feeling. There is no time to pause and reflect before the next piece of dialogue or the next preview of the play, and so the audience is constantly holding their breath and waiting to see what will happen.
The music score cannot be understated enough. Never did I expect that so much could be done with so little. The drums never stopped or faded entirely, only took a backseat during the dialogue and then thundered back in when needed. Their constant beating underscored the flow of time as it continuously marches forward. The way that it flows in and out of the actual scenes in the movie is beautifully done, as we always wonder where the drums are coming from. Are they around the corner on the street? Or are they all in my head? The classical music used to accentuate Riggan's hallucinations were wonderfully timed and jarring in their abruptness.
This film won't be accessible for everyone. It is laced with ambiguity and caters to an artistic film audience. The meta-narrative of film critique and the industry may be lost of some people, but that doesn't stop the film from having a strong emotional impact on nearly everyone. With the end of the film, you will be left to wonder and speculate on your own, as any great film should make you do. Birdman captures something so uniquely human and yet so foreign and fantastical that everyone needs to see it first hand to experience this feeling.