Keaton Shines, Movie Glimmers

Rating: 6/10 (9 January 2015)

Perhaps it's just me. Every year before the Oscars, a rash of movies appear hoping for recognition at the most prestigious award ceremony in the movie calendar - but in truth not many of them really impress, and Birdman I'm sorry to say falls into said category.
Other than yet another stellar performance from Michael Keaton and a clever(ish) premise, Birdman fails to live up to the huge amount of hype surrounding it. I'm not saying this is a bad movie - far from it. As mentioned, the performances are excellent and there are moments when it looks as if we're going to be treated to some really intense detours into the madness that must inherently pervade some (if not all) actors - after all, the best among them would be locked away if it wasn't for their given career choice.
But that's the problem - there are just moments. Nothing deep and meaningful, nothing surprising or revealing of the human condition either. There are really enjoyable scenes though. Edward Norton sporting a 'huge' boner in the bedroom scene at the end of the play is giggle worthy, and Keaton demolishing his room by (possibly) performing feats of psychokinesis is both startling and convincing - but again, you want to know more about this particular trait but are left with unanswered questions.
Half of the problem, is that you never find out whether his character is in fact in possession of super-human abilities like his alter- ego - and if so, how? There will be arguments for and against the decision of the director to take this route (fans of the 'insulting the intelligence of the audience' standpoint may take a bow now), but personally I've seen enough 'make your own mind up' endings in movies (Mulholland Drive, Persona) to know when one works, and when it doesn't. Had this been made clear from an early point in the film, it could have given Birdman more weight - but again, this is just a personal view.
Technically this is a tight film and certainly an enjoyable way to burn a couple of hours. Oscar worthy? I think not. Keaton is a shoe-in for an award this year, and there are plenty of reasons why he deserves it. Birdman, however, isn't one of them.
6.9 / 10