Birdman soars above Manhattan, making us all wish that we could fly

Rating: 8/10 (30 November 2014)

I have been really missing Manhattan: the noise, the grittiness, the incredible lunacy and wonder that is New York City. So my holiday gift to myself was tonight's viewing of Birdman, an emotion packed, theater-centric gem of a film that sets you right in the midst of all that is Manhattan and into the back alleys and twisty corridors of the St. James Theater. Michael Keaton gives an astonishing turn as, Riggan, a mature film actor who has walked away from a lucrative career as an action hero to pursue 'relevance' by adapting, directing and starring in a Broadway play. Ed Norton is the slightly off kilter supporting actor who saves the play by stepping in during previews to bolster the troope, and possibly steal the show. Emma Stone plays Riggan's smart-ass wounded, recovering addict daughter now working as his assistant and Naomi Watts turns in a solid performance as the fragile first time Broadway actress. All the paranoia, fear, anger and angst of actors gives the film a wildly unpredictable plot that, at times, borders on both the insane and the macabre – or is it all an act? Most viewers won't care as the director pulls us in from the first frame, as we follow the characters down and up and down again through the corridors and across the catwalks of the theater, and into our minds and our hearts. The story is intimate and the applause genuine. Bravo indeed.