Genuinely a fun and clever movie

Rating: 8/10 (12 January 2015)

A lot of people are referring to this movie as 'the dressing-up of the mundane'. Twice as many are referring to it as a 'cinematic masterpiece' way beyond it's time. I'm not sure I agree with either.
Whilst you definitely get the impression this movie isn't conventional, I think maybe it tries too hard to achieve this 'profound uniqueness'. However, I don't see this as a flaw; this is how cinema progresses. So, the jellyfish scene doesn't make sense to you, maybe you don't understand who or what Birdman is - but that is what makes the movie interesting. If you don't see this film as more than the production of a Broadway show, you need to watch it again.
I think a lot of both the criticisms and praises for Birdman center around it's use of confusing and nonsensical scenes. To me, it's all about interpretation; this movie doesn't guide you through the narrative, it doesn't tell you what means what and who is who, you need to figure it out for yourself. Your understanding of the movie doesn't need to match someone else's, because this is a film that you can make your own, which is a very unique quality that many films lack.
Ignoring the plot, the cast of Birdman can truly be considered the stars of the show. Michael Keaton performs the best role of his career, Riggan, a middle aged washed out actor looking for a comeback. His desperation and persistence is something we can all admire and relate to, and, paired with other stars, including Edward Norton, an egotistical actor, and Emma Stone, Riggans daughter, the cast of Birdman exceeds itself on acting ability and well-established characters.
As long as you watch this with an open-mind, I think it's a genuinely enjoyable, definitely comedic, somewhat thought provoking and all round fun movie. 8/10