Review of Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014) by Foxgrove — 16 Oct 2014

In a world where most movie these days are generic and formulaic, Birdman is a refreshing and exciting concept. An exhilarating and inventive movie that has one licking one's lips in eager anticipation as to what will happen next.

Most of the film takes part in and around a theatre on Broadway. Here, the actors are getting ready to open a new play which is meant to resurrect the career of Riggans (Michael Keaton). After success as a superhero called Birdman, both audiences and critics have been unable to take him seriously in any other roles. He sees this as his big chance to prove them all wrong. For Keaton, it could be said, life is imitating art. However, here he has never been better. Dispensing with his usual repertoire of tics and mannerisms he is a revelation giving possibly the year's tour de force performance. This is deserved Oscar calibre stuff. Sentiment doesn't come in to it.

He is surrounded by an intriguingly eclectic bunch of top class actors who add a fantastic dynamic to the overall picture. Edward Norton and Emma Stone shine the brightest and both have knockout scenes, but Andrea Riseborough, Naomi Watts, Amy Ryan and Zach Galfianikis are all equally exciting.

Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu demonstrates a firm and confident hold on the material and pulls of an amazingly innovative feat by making most of the film look as if it has been shot in one continuous take. The reality is that visual effects have been at work. Never the less the result is sensational and left me awestruck at the sheer bravado on display.

The two hour running time flies past and whilst enjoying the brilliance of the actors and the maturity of great writing and technique, one is also able to applaud the wonderful cinematography, effective sound and the inspiredl, but perfectly fitting score.

It's also refreshing to have a superhero movie that is most definitely about something other than explosions, noise and special effects. This is a true original. The type of film that the cinema was made for.