The brave, the bold and the brilliant

Rating: 9/10 (15 November 2014)

I'm a fan of movies in general, super-hero films in particular as well as live theatre, and I loved Birdman. Birdman is not a super-hero film. It's a very intimate and talkative dramedy taking mostly place in a New York Broadway theatre where a formerly famous actor who played Bat-- Birdman many years ago is trying to revive his career by adapting, directing and starring in a serious play. Let's start by perhaps the most amazing thing about this film: an extremely long sequence-shot, without seemingly any cuts, lasting for around 100 minutes! The way it's filmed, it feels as if you're an invisible stalker or ghost. It also sometimes feels as if you're in there with the actors. There's one camera, the same camera, always following a character without breaks. It's not always the same character, and it's not always in the same location. In fact, it feels as if you're exploring the private underbelly of a theatre on the verge of a new production. It might sound boring and limited but it felt very dynamic to me. In fact, the lively characters (popping in and out) and the excellent cinematography made the experience fascinating. I sometimes wondered how they managed that exploit although I have ideas of where cuts were hidden (doors or dark places). Be warned though that some of us with shorter attention spans, now used to fast cuts in TV and film, could find this constant lingering tiring sometimes. Some, like me, might find the effort rewarding. I should mention that despite the very long take (without apparent cuts), that it takes place over a few days, not over a few hours.
I particularly liked how the Michael Keaton's character sometimes heard the critical, cynical voice of what we assume is his Birdman "persona". Well, it sounded like Bat-- Birman. Also very interesting to me was how snippets of super powers were shown as if there was more to him than meets the eye. They were not overdone, and they culminated in satisfying, yet short, outdoor sequences. This is not an action film though, very far from it. Don't go watching this expecting superhero shenanigans because you'll be sorely disappointed. This is about relationships and psychology. It's about a formerly popular movie star's desperate quest for respect and admiration, as well as about his theatre entourage. I admit that the parallels of Riggan, the main character, to Michael Keaton's life and how he might be adds a lot of interest that wouldn't be there if the role was played by anybody else.
The characters were played by great actors at the top of their form. Michael Keaton in the lead played the most complex and perhaps broken of them all, in a bold performance going through a wide range of emotions. He has my vote for best lead actor at the Oscars this year. Edward Norton as an eccentric method actor was a hoot. The women were dead-on and just sounded true. Was the movie funny? Sometimes, when it involved unexpected humiliations, interactions with Norton, or clever lines. It was also fairly dramatic sometimes, but it didn't come close to making me cry. I was constantly emotionally engaged though. Not only by the story, but by the characters and, of course, the technical and artistic wizardry on display. I've never seen a film quite like this and I've seen lots of films.
I forgot to mention the very peculiar soundtrack that mostly consists of drum solos, and a little classical music during plays. I'm not sure I liked it but kudos for being different and not totally annoying me. My only other personal criticism would be (to avoid spoilers) the flights of fancy. Sometimes, in amazement, I wondered how they did it without cutting and with people around; sometimes, it looked awkward. Anyway, it's not really important. This is a smart, original and surprising film that impressed me.
Rating: 9 out of 10 (excellent)