For all of the films technical marvels, its Keaton's bravura performance which shines through and defines this ambitious film

Rating: 8/10 (9 March 2015)

Alejandro González Iñárritu's 'Birdman', stars Michael Keaton as Riggan Thomson, an ageing movie star whose glory days seems to have dried up decades ago. Desperate to recapture recognition and relevance, Thompson sinks all his time and money into writing, directing and starring in a Broadway play adaptation of Raymond Carver's 'What We Talk About When We Talk About Love'.
Thompson is buckling under the pressure, close to a breakdown. Surrounded by friends and family who have their own share of problems, from his daughter and assistant Sam (Emma Stone), his friend and lawyer Jake (Zach Galifianakis), to his girlfriend and co-star Laura (Andrea Riseborough), up and coming actress Lesley (Naomi Watts) and egocentric superstar Mike (Ed Norton). They all contrive to dismantle and fix something that maybe never should have existed.
Iñárritu bravely shoots the film as if it was in one take, the camera flows in and out of various rooms in the theatre, following all the various characters in a whirlwind of actions. The film has an elegant dynamism, but you are never allowed to ponder moments any longer than a few seconds, as if the film depended on it. As beautifully constructed as it is, Iñárritu keeps things fresh by avoiding complete precision. The random and the inexplicable are allowed just as much space. The films tension and free- wheeling energy is also derived from the manic scenarios and the uneven jazzy drum score, in an all-or-nothing journey into Thompson's mind.
'Birdman' is a dizzying and absurd experience, and Iñárritu leaves no stone unturned in savaging the vacuous world of Hollywood celebrity, showbiz and our relentless pursuit for shock and entertainment. Not only does 'Birdman' take potshots at everyone from Meg Ryan to Justin Bieber to Robert Downey Jnr, it includes its own actors with thinly veiled nods to their previous output, methods and celebrity profiles. Its a shame that for all its biting lunacy, the story is a well-worn path with few insights. For all of the films technical marvels, its Keaton's bravura performance which shines through and defines this ambitious film, his electric descent into chaos and salvation is surely his finest performance.