Hollywood has made movies in the past that talked about what
it was like to be in show business. The majority of those films were glossed
over elaborate productions that showed how glamorous the business was. On rare
occasion a film came out that showed it could be destructive as well. BIRDMAN
runs along the lines of those destructive films while at the same time being
uplifting by its end.
Michael Keaton stars as Riggan, an actor who has seen better
days and is trying to resuscitate his career. Famous the world over for
starring as comic book superhero Birdman, he turned his back on the role after
three films, trying to find legitimacy in more meaningful roles. But those parts
didn’t do his career any good and now he finds himself on Broadway, producing a
play he himself has written and will star in. If it tanks, his career is over.
It’s one last shot at stardom.
Surrounding Riggan are various side characters. Zach Galifianakis
is his agent and partner in this production, always trying to make his star
feel as if the world revolves around him. Emma Stone is his daughter and
assistant, Sam, there to help when needed but feeling as if she deserves more
attention from her father than a job. Naomi Watts is Lesley, the budding female
lead of the show who wants success as much as Riggan wants to reclaim it. And
Edward Norton is Mike, Lesley’s boyfriend and the current wunderkind of
Broadway, an actor who in the eyes of the critics can do no wrong. He also
happens to be the most prima donna person involved in the show.
As the movie opens Riggan is concerned about the way things
are going. Set to open up with previews in a few days the second male lead in
the show is struck by a stage light and needs to be replaced. Lesly suggest her
boyfriend Mike who has made himself available for the show and is willing to
join the cast. But all doesn’t go well with his arrival as Mike is a person who
thinks he’s the center of the universe, soon making the play more about his
character than the one Riggan is playing in the hopes of regenerating his
career. Fear, concern, anxiety and that ever present damaged ego are what rule
Riggan and when combined will either elevate his career or send it crashing to
the ground.
Through it all Riggan wanders the stage, the backstage, his
dressing room and the streets trying to find his center, to find himself in
such a way as to massage not just his career but his ego as well. In focusing
only on himself and his needs he misses everything going on in the world around
him. As the movie moves forward you begin to wonder if he hasn’t lost his mind
as well as we see him talking to his alter ego of the past, Birdman. We also
glimpse moments of him displaying certain powers that were associated with the
character. Are they real powers or is this just a glimpse at what is going on
in his mind? I think that’s for the viewer to decide as they watch his story
unfold.
The movie offers a masterful use of camera going from start
to finish in what would appear to be a single shot with the camera following
one character only to veer off and follow another before returning to the
first. This not only makes for an interesting use of the camera as if you were
someone there following each person from place to place but adds to the tension
from scene to scene as well as the frenetic pace of the film which constantly
seems on the move. It also makes the movie seem like a play unraveling in real
time until the final scene.
Much has been said about Keaton’s performance here and
deservedly so. For those of us old enough to recall his career from the start
it’s hard to imagine the person seen on screen here began as a stand-up though
short lived comedian who acted in comedies to begin with. When he was chosen as
the first new Batman many scoffed only to be delighted with his performance.
That adds a nice touch here as this character is also trying to get over his
past superhero performance. Keaton makes this character believable and one that
we care about before the film ends. Is he insane? Does he really have powers?
Does he have the ability to bring his career back to life? Keaton tackles all
of those ideas here with what seems like ease though is in reality talent.
The rest of the players in the film add everything to this
movie. Had the roles been handed to lesser actors they would have felt like
cardboard. Instead each brings their side characters to life and support the
role that Keaton uses as the centerpiece for the film.
This movie will not be for everyone. Watching it for the
first time I wasn’t sure if I liked it or not. The more I thought about it the
more I did. It was something refreshing and different. It might not be everyone’s
cup of tea but if you’re willing to give it a try you might find something
different and enjoyable to see here. Did it deserve to win best picture this
year at the Oscars? In my opinion no. But then again I tend to enjoy the movies
it skewered most, superhero flicks. Different strokes for different folks.
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