Good parts, but the film is too familiar and seems quite overrated.

Rating: 6/10 (2 January 2015)

At this time, "Birdman" has a phenomenal IMDb score of 8.7 and has been talked about a lot in regards to the Oscars. Whether the film does get the nominations (particularly for Michael Keaton) is something we'll know in the next few weeks. As for me, however, I really do think the film is quite overrated--and the biggest reason is that so much of it I've seen before--such as in Fellini's "8 1/2" and a few films that have copied this, such as Woody Allen's "Stardust Memories". The movie, at least to crazed film buffs like me, just lacks the originality to be a great film and it seems overrated.
As for the film, it's about a down and out actor who USED to be a big star back when he starred in superhero movies (like Keaton in real life). Now, decades later, he's attempting a comeback-- starring and directing in a Broadway play. The film is, generally, a behind the scenes look at what it's like during a production. But, it is also punctuated with very strange, surreal fantasy scenes--VERY reminiscent of Marcello Mastroianni's little fantasies in "8 1/2". In fact, there are so many that it's difficult to know what REALLY is happening at times.
I loved parts of the film. Many little bits and pieces made me smile or connected with me. But, at the same time, I struggled with liking the film because so many of the characters were either completely unlikable or were underdeveloped. This, combined with the unevenness of the script and familiarity of the style, the film didn't do much for me. Did I enjoy seeing it? Not especially, but I am glad I did see it-- and assume folks not familiar with "8 1/2" would probably like the film much more than me.