Review of Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014) by Charles B — 02 Jun 2015

This is a tour de force film on so many levels. The acting is superb all around the board and the directing is just phenomenal. While a film like Boyhood is something you'll never see again, I'd argue Birdman is a similar once in a lifetime film.

Gonzalez's directing is simply breathtaking, as he delivers a film that's a play within a movie within a play. That may sound complicated, and for the first twenty or so minutes of the film while you're getting your bearings it is, however, once you see how the film is broken up into these collections of long, no cut, one take shots, as the camera swoops through the backstage of a Broadway set, you find yourself in awe at the sheer brilliance of it.

I would definitely recommend Birdman for anyone who truly enjoys film-acting, directing, dialogue, etcetera. Along with Boyhood and Whiplash, Birdman is one of the top films of 2014 and beyond. It's dark, entertaining, funny, and most often brilliant.