Why has it become more and more of a fad to despise originality and antagonize unique films? Get over yourselves.

Rating: 9/10 (18 January 2015)

Seriously, people need to get over themselves and re-watch this masterpiece to become more aware of what they are watching in the first place. The movie being filmed with one continuous shot was something that is barely seen, and it's very effective because it captures the atmosphere of the scenes and their characters more, but people managed to twist this pro into a con and downplay it. The acting is unbelievable (and how wouldn't it be with that cast), Keaton is at his best in years (possibly his career best), Norton was great, and I was pleasantly shocked especially with Galifinakis and Stone, it seems as if they completely broke out of their typical characters and came out as something new. Zach is in a more serious role (and he does it very, very well) than his past work, and Emma as well (although she's been in serious roles before, they haven't been done with this much talent). The writing is great, and is absolutely hysterical in certain scenes (I mean that in a good way). The relationship between Riggan and his Birdman past alter-ego is also great conceptually, and is very satisfying to watch. But this movie's best aspect is its ambiguity, in multiple scenes and then most notably in the final scene (You'll understand when you see it). You can jump on either side of the fence and equally have the same amount of credence. That's ambiguity, that's something in cinema that when done right can add a lot of depth to a movie and actually make it better and give it replay value, etc...I don't want too spoil it here but the finale is definitely thought provoking and I suggest being mindful in the scenes leading up to the end.
The soundtrack, while relatively simple and less of a score in comparison to the other movies in 2014, is still nice, and very fitting. The direction (as I was slightly talking about before) is phenomenal, the camera-work was very well done and the aesthetic for the film overall was obviously handled with a lot of care. I praise Alejandro González Iñárritu for his work, and will be sure to watch some of his other movies that were recommended to me (Amores Perros, Biutiful, Babel).
In short, Birdman is simply the best of its year, the masterpiece above the rest, the essential movie of 2014 to any cinephile sniffing around theaters for a good movie (Yes it's still in theaters). Don't listen to these ignorant users, and see for yourself.
Final score: 9/10