2014 | Dir. Alejandro G. Iñárritu | 119 Minutes
"Shave off that pathetic goatee. Get some surgery. Sixty's the new thirty, motherfucker."
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) stars Michael Keaton as Riggan Thomson, an aging washed-up Hollywood actor, best known for portraying the titular comic book hero "Birdman." Riggan struggles to make a comeback as a "serious" actor on Broadway but as his stage adaptation of Raymond Carver's "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love" buckles under the strain of his troubled personal life, difficult co-stars, and critical scrutiny with opening night fast approaching, Riggan’s Birdman alter-ego, an ever-present embodiment of his mid-life crisis, strengthens its grip on his already-fragile psyche.
Possibly Keaton's best performance to date, he's brilliant as Riggan, a man who represents a heightened approximation of Keaton's career, both an egotistical cad and a sympathetic (mostly pathetic) loser at the end of his wits. All this can be said before applying the other half of the equation: Keaton completely letting loose as the volatile, foul-mouthed, psychotic Birdman, who begins the film as a raspy voice imbuing Thomson with (hallucinations of?) telekinesis and eventually evolves into a full lycra-superhero-suit-wearing manifestation complete with CGI-infused superpowers. Keaton is an absolute pleasure to watch in this film.
Edward Norton nearly steals the show as Mike Shiner, a talented stage actor who is notorious for being a nightmare for directors. Shiner is to Norton as Thomson is to Keaton, an entertaining exaggeration of Norton's reputation as a difficult actor, quick to serve up awful behavior to everyone in his wake. Shiner’s emotionally fragile girlfriend Lesley is played by Naomi Watts, delivering a performance to relish - an actress who is manic, unstable, and on the cusp of madness herself. Another stand-out performance in Birdman belongs to Zach Galifianakis, playing against as Thomson's level-headed yet relentlessly opportunistic lawyer. Rounding out the impressive supporting cast are Emma Stone, Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan, and Lindsay Duncan.
Though Birdman is set mostly in the theater and on the city blocks within its vicinity, director Alejandro G. Iñárritu brings a kinetic energy to the narrative by presenting the film as if it were shot in one take. Save for a recurring scene that bookends the film, through clever editing and special effects the picture seamlessly transitions from one scene to the next.
Birdman is an incredibly well-crafted, hilarious dark comedy sporting an amazing cast and more than a few twisty metatextual turns. Iñárritu guides Keaton and the audience through a bumpy ride from frustration to despair to psychosis and, ultimately, to triumph.
FRAGMENTS
- Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, and Emma Stone all have superhero movie cred
- Up until this film, I'd only ever seen Lindsay Duncan in minor parts on Doctor Who and Sherlock but she plays a great antagonist in this film, a merciless theatre critic who is all too ready to write-off Riggan sight unseen
MCU CONNECTIONS
- Edward Norton (Bruce Banner in The Incredible Hulk)
- Michael Keaton (Adrian Toomes in Spider-Man: Homecoming)
