Birdman Flies High!

Rating: 10/10 (11 September 2015)

Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014): Dir: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu / Cast: Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts, Zach Galifianakis: Spectacular and innovative film about one's dealing with their identity and past. Michael Keaton plays actor Riggan Thomson who is attempting a stage career but struggles with his famous Birdman superhero films. This is Keaton at his absolute best as he struggles to maintain a sense of moving ahead both professionally and mentally. Edward Norton plays an egotistical actor brought in after an accident cancelled out the guy he replaced. Emma Stone is wonderful playing Keaton's daughter, an ex addict whose relationship with her father is distant. She serves as an assistant but becomes entangled with the narcissism of the Norton character. Naomi Watts plays a new actress who becomes offended when Norton takes sexual liberties with her live on stage. Zach Galifianakis plays Keaton's best friend and manager who struggles to deal with the media, particularly after the initial accident. Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu does an impressive job at creating what appears to be one ongoing shot that is aided by incredible editing. The fantasy sequences involve Keaton and moving objects without touching, or the image of the Birdman character whose voice counters his throughout the film in discouraging fashion reminding him of his past image. Visually enchanting and often quite funny take on talents yearning to recreate the glory days when paychecks were big, yet they prefer to take flight in dark places where their careers may not soar. Score: 10 / 10