BIRDMAN (R)
Released by Fox Searchlight
Review by Adam Mast
BIRDMAN is an exhilarating motion picture experience. This is director Alenjandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s strongest and most innovative work since his debut feature, AMORES PERROS nearly fifteen years ago. With its themes of ambition and success, BIRDMAN has a bit in common with CHEF and WHIPLASH but BIRDMAN is punctuated by an offbeat, dreamy/surreal spirit akin to the works of Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman (think BEING JOHN MALKOVICH and ADAPTATION). Translation; this might be a tough sell for the masses but if you’re willing to take a chance on something adventurous (and metaphorical), then BIRDMAN is certainly for you.
In BIRDMAN, Michael Keaton is Riggan Thomas–an aging actor whose big claim to fame was appearing as an iconic superhero in a highly lucrative film franchise earlier on in his career. In an effort to be taken more seriously, a much older Riggan turns his focus to theater where he sets out to direct a play in a bid to recapture his past glory. As the pressure brought on by his estranged daughter (played by Emma Stone) and an egomaniacal actor (played by Edward Norton) begins to escalate, the gruff voice inside Riggan’s head has this artist constantly questioning what he’s doing with his life.
From a dialogue and blocking standpoint, BIRDMAN unfolds quite a bit like a play but from a technical standpoint, Inarritu and his brilliant cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki, kick the visual aspect of the picture up a notch by designing the majority of BIRDMAN to look like one, continuous, uninterrupted shot. The end result is positively breathtaking. Particularly, when the movie takes the action outside the theater. A sequence in which we see a nearly naked Keaton fighting his way through the crowded streets of New York after he’s accidentally locked out of the theater during a smoke break, is dazzling to say the least.
BIRDMAN offers up inside jokes galore, many of them revolving around the idea that Keaton is portraying a man who once played an iconic super hero. The film also has fun with the very notion that Edward Norton is playing a brilliant, self serious actor known for rubbing folks the wrong way. Yes, BIRDMAN is a shrewd satire on celebrity and the movie business, but Keaton and Norton play these men with real depth.
This is the meatiest role Keaton has had in years and he hits all the right notes as a washed up actor seeking validation in the twilight of his career. Norton is a bundle of narcissistic joy as an actor who is the bee’s knees and makes sure everyone knows it. Gorgeous Emma Stone emerges as the emotional core of the movie as a young woman plauged by issues that stem from a strained relationship with her father. She simply breaks the heart in this picture, and I found her instantly relatable. A scene in which her Sam explains where her real animosity towards her father comes from is amongst the most powerful moments in the movie. This might be the best work of Stone’s career. Rounding out a terrific cast are Naomi Watts, Zach Galifianakis, and Amy Ryan.
There’s a lot of talk about the ending of this picture. Upon reflection, I suppose it is open to interpertation but I feel very strongly about what I think it means. Having said that, the alternative more than makes sense too. Yes, I’m being cryptic here, but I really don’t want to spoil anything. Beyond that, I will say that while I dug the ending of the picture, I did feel that a few characters were dropped by wayside in the final act and that frustrated me a bit. Still, I loved this movie overall and if Inarritu isn’t showered with love and recognition during movie awards season, I’d be very surprised. BIRDMAN is one of the year’s best films.
