Review of Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014) by Axgrinder — 02 Nov 2014

An industry insider’s movie. Heavy on the Freud. If you like it, it’s probably something you’ll want to watch twice just to make sure you didn’t miss anything. Michael Keaton plays Riggan Thomson, a former movie star who is best known for his role as comic book superhero Birdman. Riggan walked away from the role many years ago and is tormented by his decision. No longer of interest to anyone in Hollywood, Riggan writes, directs and stars in his own Broadway play in an effort to stay relevant and prove (mostly to himself) that his success as Birdman was not a fluke, and that he has real acting talent.

By all appearances, Riggan is well beyond the zenith of his career. His desire to be an actor in the limelight has cost him dearly over the years in terms of his relationship with daughter (Emma Stone), his ex-wife (Amy Ryan) and his current girlfriend (Andrea Riseborough). Possibly due to his lack of subsequent success, Birdman has become Riggan’s alter ego and his sense of reality is becoming increasing warped. The movie seems to be asking questions like: What kind of person seeks a career in acting? Do actors start out as insecure egomaniacs incapable of real intimacy and emotion or is there a real danger that years of trying to make it as an actor will make you this way? Or is film is poking fun (tongue in beak) at the public’s hackneyed perception of actors and acting. Hmmm? Overall it’s just enjoyable, not stunning or profound.

The story is told mostly from inside the head of Keaton, but deftly moves around to show you the chaos and insecurity enveloping lives of everyone associated with acting or the stage. Reminiscent of Bob Fosse’s 1979 musical All That Jazz. Extremely well-acted by everyone involved. Expect several Oscar nominations for this one, including best actor for Keaton and best actor in a supporting role for Edward Norton, who is absolutely hilarious. Nice change of pace performances from both Emma Stone and Zach Galfianikis. The cinematography is also excellent.