Birdman: Or (The Unexpected of Ignorance) is something else, that's for sure!

Rating: 9/10 (22 June 2015)

So this is what won the Oscar for Best Picture. The days of something like Titanic winning the award seems long gone now. Then again, most of what's popular are usually some special effects-epic that doesn't say anything particularly important, just meant to entertain for a couple hours. And that includes many superhero pictures that are permeating the industry right now. Michael Keaton plays an actor who once was part of that crowd when he was Birdman. Now he's trying to be legitimate again by starring and directing himself in a play based on a Raymond Carver story. Shot in what seems like one continuous take, this film is a compelling take on art vs. commerce, realism vs. simple playacting, and sanity vs. insanity. Keaton, Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Emma Stone, and others do fine performances on how some actors cope with whatever insecurities they have when things don't always happen like they think they should. All I'll now say is Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) is well worth seeing if you want your brain picked on for a couple of hours.