Excellent, but falls short of being a masterpiece

Rating: 7/10 (25 January 2015)

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's "Birdman" is a masterpiece on many levels. First of all, a very unusual camera technique is used to make the entire film feel like one continuous shot, which is very engrossing. Secondly, the soundtrack consists almost entirely of scattered, dissonant jazz percussion, which gives the film an unhinged feel. It really is on a level with the one in Kubrick's "The Shining". Thirdly, all of the lead actors give solid, occasionally great, performances.
But what makes this film fall short of being a masterpiece, oddly enough, is Inarritu's directing and writing. The frequent use of surrealism is intriguing, but it doesn't seem to have much meaning or purpose. The story is thin and exists only in service of the performances. Nevertheless, "Birdman" is an experience you will remember for some time, and I urge you to see it.
8/10