Needs more bird, less man

Rating: 7/10 (16 November 2014)

As a fan of Michael Keaton almost my entire life, I do have to say this film did not let me down due to him. He has always been a great character actor, and Birdman proves that he's still got that. Overall, I enjoyed the film; Galifinakis was the perfect neurotic director, Norton was an impeccable asshole, the jarring, unconventional musical score and shaky camera perfectly mirrored the scattered chaotic personal and professional lives of the characters.
Where I felt some disappointment was the woeful neglect of Riggan's Birdman psyche. I would have loved to see some backstory on how this character became so schizophrenically entrenched in the mind of Riggan. The audience could have used the break; after about an hour of endless theatre scenes, I was becoming a bit restless and thinking it would be nice if the plot took a detour. More exploration into Birdman would have also given a chance to showcase the much-hyped, incredible suit designed by the unmatched Spectral Motion. I think the full suit was seen on screen a total of twice during the course of the film.
Overall, Birdman was a moderately funny, clever and avant-garde film that could have been even an outstanding one with even a little more exploration into the mysterious costumed hero of Riggan's past