A Technical Marvel That's Ambitious, Audacious & Astonishing.

Rating: Null/10 (4 February 2015)

From the director of Amores Perros, 21 Grams & Babel, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) is Alejandro Gonzáles Iñárritu's most distinct & daring film to date when compared to his previous works, and certainly the most ambitious one around on a technical scale as the renowned filmmaker here aims to blur the lines between theater & film as well as reality & fiction without breaking continuity and for the most part, he truly succeeds.
Birdman tells the story of a former Hollywood star famous for playing an iconic superhero decades ago & who is now a washed up actor. Filled with regret, constantly tormented by the voice of his most memorable character & fearing of falling into oblivion, he decides to make a comeback by risking everything he has on a Broadway play, hoping that its success will revitalize his career. But as the play approaches its premiere, he runs into several issues.
Co-written, produced & directed by Alejandro Gonzáles Iñárritu, Birdman is a huge leap for the Mexican filmmaker as he completely reinvents his tone, style & method without discarding the themes that have been an integral part of his entire filmography. Screenplay takes a jab at all things Hollywood & doesn't even spare the critics but it is actually in the fluid execution of these moments where Birdman ends up making its biggest impression.
Emmanuel Lubezki is steadily rising as one of the best camera operators around & with Birdman, he adds another impressive feat to his résumé. Apart from its opening & closing moments, the entire picture is presented as one continuous long take for the camera keeps floating from one character to another, even manages to shift through time & different sets without breaking continuity, and works in perfect tandem with editing & digital effects to pull off its gimmick.
Coming to the performances, Michael Keaton makes a stunning return to form with a work that's arguably his career-best. But he isn't alone as Edward Norton also chips in a performance we haven't seen from the actor in a long time. And the supporting cast is no slouch either for Emma Stone, Naomi Watts, Zack Galifianakis, Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan & Lindsay Duncan do a fine job in their given roles, but Birdman is ultimately Keaton's show all the way from start to finish.
On an overall scale, Iñárritu's first foray into the comedy genre has more positives than negatives for his latest is a technical marvel that's ambitious, audacious & astonishing, and yet I can't help but feel slightly underwhelmed by it because it could've done so much more with its self- referential characters, the theater vs film & art vs commerce argument, and its bashing of critics but it unfortunately doesn't. In the end, the most memorable thing about this film isn't its story or characters but its one-shot gimmick. Nevertheless, Birdman comes recommended.