Not my cup of tea! 5/10

Rating: 5/10 (20 July 2015)

Review: I really had high hopes for this movie because it done so well at the box office and most of the critics gave it a great write up but now that I have watched it, I feel quite disappointed. I was able to stay away from the spoilers so I didn't know that the film was set around the theatre, which I found quite boring after a while. Anyway, the movie is about a actor who became famous by playing the role as Birdman but once he stops playing the capped superhero, the work dries up and he struggles to hit the spotlight again. He then finances a Broadway play and his career and reputation rides on the play becoming a success. Whilst preparing for the opening night, his relationship with his daughter (Stone), his ex-wife (Amy Ryan), the leading actor (Norton), his pregnant girlfriend (Riseborough) and his annoying alter ego (Birdman), all play a part in making Riggan Thomson (Keaton) lose his mind, especially with a critic on his back who threatens to shut his play down. By the time that he hits the stage, the pressure really takes its toll and he takes drastic measures to finally find some peace. The storyline is original and I couldn't believe how long one shot was. The acting is superb from Keaton and the rest of the cast but I still wasn't that impressed with the concept or the direction that the movie took. I kept on waiting for something amazing to happen but it felt like a dull drama about a depressed man. I liked when his alter ego came into play, with the explosions and the massive dinosaur and I also liked the chemistry between Keaton & Norton but it did get a bit messy after a while because there was way too much going on. That's not too say that it's not a cleverly made film but it just wasn't my cup of tea. Watchable!
Round-Up: Michael Keaton is another actor who I enjoy watching since Mr. Mom, Gung Ho, Beetlejuice, Clean & Sober, the Dream Team and Nightshift in the 80's. I liked him as Batman but the movies were crap and they really damaged his career. There are a few innuendos in this film which make it look like his alter ego was geared towards Batman but thats not on the record. He has played a part in Robocop, Need For Speed, Minions and the Other Guys but he didn't play a major role. Personally, I think he's a great actor but he has just made a lot of bad choices like Herbie Fully Loaded and Post Grad. I really couldn't see this role played by anyone else and this movie definitely wouldn't be as big as it was without Keaton in the lead. Its just a shame that he lost out at the Oscars to Eddie Redmayne. Anyway, the film was directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu who is currently directing the Revenant with Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy and hes made Babel, 21 Grams and Biutiful. He does have a unique style of directing, which must have been hard to achieve in this movie because the takes were extremely long. I liked the fact that he let Keaton let loose in this movie because it really pushed him to the max and Norton also showed a different side to his acting skills. Anyway, this is a well made film which made a healthy profit at the box office but I was hoping for a bit more.
Budget: $18million Worldwide Gross: $103million
I recommend this movie to people who are into their deep dramas about an has been actor who is performing and financing a play to bring him back into the spotlight. 5/10