When does art imitate life? When it does so in a very constructive and wonderfully acted way in a movie called Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance. Birdman is a black comedy about an actor Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton) whose claim to fame was his portrayal of a superhero called as you would guess, Birdman and his struggle to be relevant again beyond his iconic alter ego. Sound somewhat familiar? Think of Keaton’s post-Batman career. Warning spoilers ahead…
Riggan Thomson was at one time the biggest box office draw in Hollywood because of a series of superhero films in the late 80’s and early 90’s. When he dropped the cowl and wings to become a serious actor, his career came to a halt. Now, he was putting everything on the line by directing and starring in a Broadway adaptation of Raymond Carver’s short story What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. His biggest obstacle may be himself.
Joining Riggan on his Don Quixote-like quest is method actor Mike Shiner, played brilliantly by Edward Norton. Mike proves to be a handful from the moment they met. He changes lines when it suits him and tries to have sex with his co-star Lesley (Naomi Watts) while on stage in front of 800 spectators. This is all after ruining the first preview night because Riggan switched the real liquor he was drinking on stage with water. Yes, this comeback is off to a rocky start.
Complicating things further is his relationship with all the females in his life, which includes his drug-addicted daughter Sam (Emma Stone), his ex-wife, Sylvia (Amy Ryan) and his pregnant mistress, Laura (Andrea Riseborough). Add to it, the voice of his alter ego Birdman chirping away in his head. To say he has issues would be an understatement. He is easy to root for despite his obvious flaws. Flaws, that he is very well aware of.
There are several jokes revolving around today’s comic book actors like current Avengers, Robert Downey, Jr. and Jeremy Renner. There is even mention of George Clooney in one scene that got a chuckle from the audience who were aware of Clooney’s Batman legacy post Keaton.
Michael Keaton has for too long been overlooked as a gifted actor. Birdmanshows his depth and range. Hopefully in spite of its limited commercial release, the Academy won’t overlook his performance as well as that in a supporting role for Norton. Both of them are extremely deserving of such recognition. Birdman was shot in one continuous, uninterrupted take with strategically placed edits to make it appear seamless. Any film student would marvel at the technique.
Much like the man behind the mask, the film is complicated with many layers. Or, as a good friend of mine said after she saw Birdman, it’s a bit weird. She’s not wrong but it’s a good kind of weird told with artistic style by director Alejandro González Iñárritu. The human psyche is complicated, desperate and weird. It’s only when we are at our lowest point like Riggan that we fully understand what we’re made of. If you can find it, go see this movie.
Birdman stars: Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, Edward Norton, Zack Galifianakis, Andrea Riseborough, Naomi Watts and Amy Ryan. Directed by: Alejandro González Iñárritu.
Birdman ****1/2 (out of 5 stars)
May the Dork be with you,
JPB
The Dork Knight
