Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

The Show Must Go On

Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Release Date: 2014
Rating: 15
Running Time: 120 mins
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Starring: Michael Keaton, Ed Norton, Emma Stone, Zach Galifianakis, Naomi Watts

"Aren't you worried people will say you're doing this play to battle the impression that you're a washed up comic strip character?"

As the Oscars draw nearer there are some clear frontrunners for this years nominees coming forward. Birdman is no exception. Nominated for 9 Oscars in the Academy Awards 2015 I reckon that quirky Mexican director Alejandro G. Iñárritu should be feeling pretty confident with his original comedy. There's no doubt Birdman deserves to win something.

When thinking of this film, the thing I've found to have stuck with me the most is it's extraordinary way that it was filmed. Laid out to be one long tracking shot depicting event after event with no cuts what so ever, we soon become wrapped up in the story following the characters over the next few days (literally). We begin with Riggan Thompson (keaton), a washed up actor/celebrity known for his portrayal of the superhero "Birdman" over 20 years prior. Having written, directed and now starring in his new play "What we talk about when we talk about love", we are taken backstage and follow Riggan through a series of bizarre events leading up to curtain call on opening night. We follow the characters through their interactions constantly changing settings, scenery and places but never once does the camera choose to cut away from the continuous tracking shot, making it so fantastically filmed and directed. We follow characters into scenes and leave with different ones so it really does feel like a backstage pass as we explore behind the scenes of the Broadway Theatre.

I suppose quite suitably, the film is made to feel a lot like a play, due to it's continuous flowing motion, never jumping ahead. The feel is one perhaps similar to Alfred Hitchcock's Rope (1948) where the film is laid out in the style of a stage performance with only one jump cut in the entire piece. Birdman despite being similar to this, has managed to take the idea one step further and produce film that flows so naturally you notice no cuts or edits in the film despite being filmed over a range of different locations (differing from Rope as the set was only 3 rooms). Mainly we're taken through corridors backstage of the theatre and are shown the way actors work during a performance, but we also go out into the streets of Broadway and into various different locations lead by characters with the camera following the entire time.

This is certainly one of Keaton's finest roles, even giving Beatlejuice a run for his money and I suppose this means the time has come to finally forgive him for the year he had previously. I'm ready to let Robocop and Need For Speed go now Mike, you've definitely still got it. Emma Stone has come along way from Zombieland now and it's fair to say she can only get better, especially now she's in with a chance of winning an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. And Ed Norton once again is filling a role he was born to play, is there anything this guy hasn't wowed us in? He brings a big comedy presence to the film playing the douchebag actor who needs the right person to bring the good guy out in him. All the actors bring something different to the role, but above all, they all show the darker side to acting making us not envy working on stage one bit. One of the best moments in the whole film is where we follow Keaton from leaving his dressing room right onto the stage in front of hundreds of people, it's quite an experience being shown how actors work.

It's an amazing achievement to have filmed Birdman in the way that they did, and it's certainly a frontrunner for Best Directing this year, there's a lot of potential in this film that really does deserve to be credited. Funny, original and sharp.

9/10