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FILM REVIEW :: Birdman
It is not often that you see a film which is truly honest. A film where all its parts are speaking to a greater truth. A work of art that is a tangible piece of the human condition. This incredible team of people have created a self reflexive film about the battle between the lows of self doubt and the highs of great pride inside of the creative process. The work is not only a personal reflection of its writer/director, Alejandro Iñáritu, but also of its protagonist, Michael Keaton. Keaton plays an actor making a last attempt to create a great work of art before he fades out of the limelight after many years away from the superhero character which catapulted him to fame, BIRDMAN.
Certainly this former Batman has called on personal experience as Keaton gives possibly his most honest and vulnerable performance to date. Keaton’s character, Riggan Thomson, is the first time writer/director of a Broadway play. The film begins before the opening of the play as everyone prepares. The camera rolls through St. James Theatre as if the entire building were a stage as we meet the people working to put on this production. The entire cast breathed great life into these detailed and complex characters that Iñaritu has written. Edward Norton shines as the cocky (pun intended) actor who lives for his moments on stage and Emma Stone gives an incredibly sincere performance as Riggan’s daughter/assistant who has recently returned from rehab. The technical expertise it took to accomplish this film is impressive. With the help of the great cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, they are able to make the action and character movement feel like clockwork in mostly long, moving takes. The film builds as opening night comes closer and tensions grow higher. Will this play revive his career or cement his decline?
