Johnny is a joker....

Rating: 8/10 (23 February 2015)

So going to see Birdman the night after it's just won the Oscar for best movie has to be a bit of a gamble hasn't it? After all, there's nothing that Hollywood likes more than something that sucks up the juices and shows it how it really is. And we all must know already that Birdman was the reason why our hero had been famous previously and is now trying to capture something of that lost fame and glory right? Well yes, as far as it goes, that may be true. Yet despite my slight trepidation at what was to come, I have to say that I was very pleasantly surprised this evening and walked away feeling quite content.
This tale takes you centre stage to a quite wonderful turn from our slightly saggy, slightly down at heel Micheal Keaton as the eponymous hero, aka Riggan. We are given to understand from the off that the star turn may be experiencing some kind of psychotic episode, although this is never really confirmed either. Hey, after all, this is the movies isn't it? Except that it isn't, it's the thrill of the greasepaint and the creaking of the boards. And that's what scares him. Why's he doing this? It's not at all apparent that he even knows. Except that he's put everything on the line for a Raymond Carver play.
His ally Jake is impeccably played by Zach Galifianakis, with a quite beautiful mixture of encouragement and fear. Emma Stone does the moody daughter to a tee, sparky when required and distant for the majority. And Andrea Riseborough as the pregnant (or not) passionate partner outdoes herself in my opinion, really solid in her screen time, probably slightly overshadowing Naomi Watts into the process. As for Edward Norton, he nails it as the method man whose priapic ways on stage are in stark contrast to his troubles off. Our Lindsay Duncan does a great star turn as an embittered critic with unwieldy power.
If you've heard about the continuous shot style, then enjoy it, as it adds a layer to the movie, both stylistically and chronologically, that impressed me greatly. We're mainly stuck inside the twisting confines of the theatre and at times one can feel lost as to precisely where we are. Which probably isn't something that's happening by default, but rather by design. The script is excellent, many laughs to be had, and some real scenes of tenderness too, which is quite a trick to pull off I feel. The plot shifts along effortlessly, never feeling like you're watching a two-hour production. And the score is to die for, it almost felt like Whiplash Redux.
Worth the Oscar? Who cares, all I want to know is, did he fly?