Must see. Caw!

Rating: 10/10 (15 November 2014)

I have no doubt this film will be dissected and studied in film classes for generations to come. Why? Put simply, it reset the bar for "masterpiece". It is at once bold and surreal, funny and deeply moving, grounding and satirical, and most of all poignant and provoking. The cinematography was certainly off-beat, but brilliantly so, as it left me entranced upon the actors as they flew around the dingy corners of the narrow (and at times soaring) avenues. Michael Keaton easily stole "the show", and delivered quite possibly the most versatile and breathtaking performance I have seen from an actor in my life time. Nay, I kid you not. And Edward Norton and Naomi Watts both rose far above the challenge shown in previous roles, to say nothing of Emma Stone's bringing of the heat, which was turned up considerably more than in her typical "geeky girl next door" roles. Zach Galifianikis, while very svelte, seemed slightly uncomfortable among the rest of the cast, yet still managed to bring more sophistication and class than previously shown. The writing was brilliant. The execution of the narrative was impeccable. This movie deserves to be in every theater, but sadly, it isn't. So, if you want to be taken on a roller-coaster of laughs, deep emotion, and mild insanity, you'll need to get to your local art house or movie tavern to experience this journey. The journey of Birdman.