Rated 8 until the end Which gave it a 4 overall. Miss the last 20 Minutes and you will be better off.

Rating: 4/10 (18 January 2015)

This is a two part review of the movie. The first part I am giving the movie an 8. I thought the movie extremely well done until the last 20 minutes. The acting and the passion that these people showed in there desire to give the best performance possible was palpable. I was drawn into this world and became concerned with these peoples lives.
Edward Norton's portrayal of the self centered ego-maniacal actor who is a terrible person but a fantastic actor was complete in all ways.
Michael Keaton played the part of a has-been actor grabbing for glory and afraid of his own mortality in a manor that allowed me to believe that he was in fact Riggan Thomson.
The supporting cast all played their roles very well. However, Emma Stone as Sam Thomson was the least believable of the performances.
The view of the inside of Riggan's head was well done and brought to life the struggle he was having with his dying career and his inevitable death.
The 4 star rating comes from the last 20 minutes or so of the film. From the moment we see Riggan on the ledge of the building after having his dream crushed the movie becomes predictable. The only unpredictable part of the end was how long we were forced to sit and suffer. The flying scene that did not end in his death did not seem to be the same film I had been watching. The director seemed to have lacked a convincing way to end the movie and it showed. Each time you think the movie is over it just keeps going. After it keeps going it gets worse each time. Until finally at the end Sam looks out the window and looks up as if she can see her father flying like a Birdman.
This fantastic movie was ruined in less than 20 minutes. Sadly not the first 20 or I could have gone home and done anything else. Instead I wasted over two hours.