Review of Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014) by John N — 08 Oct 2017

Super Hero Drama King.

Birdman: Or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance is an Academy Award winning phenomenon that allows audiences to sit backstage and watch as a burned-out movie actor attempts to re-kindle his career by starting a play on Broadway. From director Alejandro González Iñárritu, comes the story of Riggan Thomson, a once popular movie star for his role as a crime fighting superhero named Birdman, who struggles with trying to get his play off its feet for the previews. Riggan, who is played by Michael Keaton, is an alcoholic loser who is afraid that society has forgotten about him. He is constantly in a state of euphoria due to his mental break downs in which he is able to talk to his imaginary Birdman character. Birdman is a physical representation of Riggan's conscience. Riggan is constantly losing grip of reality which causes him to hallucinate himself floating and flying throughout the city. His loss of reality also causes him to have terrible relationships, including his own daughter Sam, who is played by Emma Stone. Hoping to keep the play alive, Riggan hires a skilled, egotistical actor named Mike, who is played by Edward Norton. Mike causes all sorts of problems for Riggan, including trying to have sex on stage with another cast member and having a relationship with his daughter Sam. Through stunning visuals and wonderful performing, watch as Riggan's play starts to fall apart. Keaton's interpretation of Riggan creates many memorably awkward scenes that make you keep coming back to re-watch. Director Iñárritu constructs these wonderful scenes through amazing cinematography and fantastic camera editing that really sets the tone for story. During the film, he uses the chaotic sound of a solo drummer, performing a routine, to simulate problems and escalating situations. When the drumming begins, the audience is aware that something important is about to take place. Witness Riggan slowly start to understand his faults that he made during his life. He put all of his fame and faith on Birdman and is realizing that all good things eventually come to an end. The only person excited to be in the cast happens to be Lesley. Lesley, who is played by Naomi Watts, is a small-time actress finally excited to get her big break. Riggan interacts with others throughout the film including Zach Galifianakis playing his manager Jake, Amy Ryan as his ex-wife Sylvia, and Lindsey Duncan as a rotten critic Tabitha Dickinson. Birdman is full of surprises and funny moments while also being sad and dramatic to watch. From Mike getting drunk on stage and messing up an entire performance, to Riggan walking through Times Square almost naked, audiences will always be shocked and entertained by what they see. With such an interesting and complex ending, Birdman leaves a lot to the minds of the audience members by not showing or telling exactly what happens to conclude the film. This also creates a whole level of mystery that allows the audience to create their own vision and view for how the movie ended. I highly recommend that everyone should give Birdman a try. The story line is action packed while also being sophisticated and kept moving along. I was never bored nor tired while watching Keaton make a fool of himself on the big screen. Birdman is a terrific and beautiful story filled with twists and turns that captivate movie-goers all around the world.