A Weird and Wonderful Cinematic Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (25 January 2015)

"I thought I knew what this movie was about. I was wrong" A man in the row behind me said these words during the first scene of Birdman. That made two of us. I thought Birdman was about a washed up superhero movie star trying to revive his career on stage. And at least on the surface it is. But that barely scratches the surface. Birdman is one of the most complex and multi-layered films I've ever seen. There are deep glimpses inside the human mind, reflections on the nature of entertainment and art, scenes straight out of Terry Gilliam's Brazil or Walter Mitty, and all of it is hilariously funny and completely insane.
Now most movie reviews start by telling you what the movie is about, but I'm afraid I can't do that. I can't tell you what this movie is about, because it is about so many things at once and because words simply cannot do this movie justice. You absolutely have to see this movie for yourself. I mean that. Whatever you're doing, get up and buy tickets to this movie right now! Sorry, I didn't mean to be pushy, it's just that I just finished watching this movie and it's really got me worked up. It's that good.
Alright, that last paragraph was a little crazy. But I meant for it to be, because that will help prepare you for how crazy Birdman is, because it is utterly insane. The people in this movie are crazy. They say whatever they think, which frequently includes thoughts that would never go through a normal person head. They do whatever they feel like, no matter how inappropriate. Ed Norton's character is especially shameless on this count. He will hit on any woman, anywhere, anytime. If something bothers him, he will act out in the most outrageous ways, no matter how many people are watching. He is the ultimate Broadway prima-donna, with no self control, unlimited ego, and the unshakable conviction that he knows true art. In short an unbalanced A-hole who happens to act brilliantly.
When it comes to crazy though, he's got nothing on Riggan, the former Hollywood action star turned Broadway hopeful. Riggan is on the verge of a complete nervous breakdown. And much like Bruce Wayne, he has the voice of his costumed alter ego stuck in his head, reminding him of what they had together and mocking what he's become. And he may also have telekinetic powers. The movie isn't entirely clear on that point.
So this is a very unconventional role to say the least, and Michael Keaton is brilliant in it. He perfectly embodies every facet of the role: the endearing insanity, the anger and frustration, the ego and arrogance, the fear of being an old, washed up has-been. He does things in this movie that few actors of his stature would agree to do. He puts everything he has into this role, and a big part of it is that in a way he's playing himself. This is the guy who did the first two Batman movies after all. And come to think of it, the same is true of Ed Norton. His temperamental prima-donna is the embodiment of every story floating around Hollywood about how hard to work with.
Add Zach Galifianakis as Riggan's frazzled lawyer Jake and the charming Emma Watson as his long-suffering daughter Sam, and the casting in this movie is perfect. So are the writing, direction, editing, and everything else about it. The screenplay blends the real and the fantastic until you can no longer tell them apart. The pacing is flawless, alternating between the serious and the outrageous so that neither becomes overwhelming. The dialog in this movie is more offbeat and maybe more realistic than Tarantino's. And the camera hovers beside the actors, matching their pace and looking over their shoulders so that you almost feel you're standing in the room with them.
And oh how this movie can deconstruct. It thoroughly dismantles the realities of acting; the jealously, egos, and clashing personalities, the overlapping worlds of stage vs. screen acting, and the very act of pretending to be someone you're not. It shrewdly examines the jaded and cynical critics, the entertainment driven news cycle, the public's current obsession with the superhero genre, and our addiction to smart-phones, YouTube, and all things viral, and what it might mean for older forms of media. In a movie where a guy in a latex bird suit follows the star around there's even time to ponder the true meaning of art. This film deconstructs all of show biz in greater detail than Unforgiven did the old west.
Alejandro González Iñárritu simply cannot get enough praise for what he has produced. Birdman is deep, outrageously funny, utterly insane, sometimes downright poignant, and awesome in every way imaginable. I would consider it the best movie of 2014. Like I said earlier, go see it.