Review of Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014) by Robert H — 13 Jul 2015

BIRDMAN is directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarrittu and stars Michael Keaton as a former movie superhero who takes it upon himself to direct, write and star in a Broadway play. Joining him are Zack Galifianakis, Naomi Watts, Emma Stone, and Edward Norton who play his agent, fellow cast members, and daughter.

My initial thoughts when starting it weren't too great, but I gradually came to appreciate it a little more for its technical achievement and some interesting observations on the lives of actors. Still, in a film about the ego of actors and the importance of artistic expression (among other things), it came off as egotistical and self-important.

Without giving away specifics or plot spoilers, I can say that the film is very "meta." Michael Keaton is playing a character who has some similarities, or shares some DNA, with his real-life persona, as does Edward Norton (apparently).

Michael Keaton's Riggan Thompson is a former blockbuster movie star who is trying to do something artistic for personal validation, and Edward Norton's Mike Shiner is a method actor who probably takes his job a little too seriously.

For me, those two characters (and their interactions) form the central dialogue and message the film is trying to get across. They also had the most interesting dynamic in the story. What I didn't necessarily warm up to was the rather cynical attitude it had towards critics and big-budget filmmaking.

And some of the magical realism came off as labored attempts to be clever. Elements that did work a little more include Emmanuel Lubezki's cinematography, giving the film a Malickian feel, and the drum score.

Overall, I would say that I appreciated the film for what it is more than actually liking or enjoying it. It has an impeccable technical construction, but a lot of the dialogue and overt messaging felt more like therapy for actors and didn't engage me like a straightforward drama normally would.

Even though this is Inarrittu's most playful film yet, it made me long for the emotional manipulation of something like 21 GRAMS. There is a time and place for different kinds of movies, and the way the film takes sides when they both feed into each other was rather disingenuous.

I can understand why this film did so well at the Oscars, because Hollywood always likes patting themselves on the back, but it has mixed results as entertainment.