BIRDMAN
(OR THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)
Director : Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
Year : 2015
Genre : Comedy
Rating : ****
Despite a few choice extended cameos in movies such as 'Robocop', 'Toy Story 3' and the God-awful 'Need For Speed', Michael Keaton hasn't done any high profile work in quite a few years. It's a real shame because as he proved many many times before in and endless list of films including 'Pacific Heights', 'Jackie Brown', 'Clean & Sober', 'Beetlejuice' and of course the role that defined his career 'Batman' and 'Batman Returns', he is one of the most charismatic and watchable actors of the past 50 years. Thankfully the hilarious and intriguing 'Birdman', the latest movie from director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu brings Keaton right back into the general public consciousness and attention, giving him a character that is worthy of his inimitable screen presence; a character that may in fact win him a Academy Award come February 22nd.
In what could be seen as somewhat of an pseudo-autobiographical role, Keaton plays Riggan Thompson, a once popular movie star who made his name in Hollywood playing a superhero in a franchise of movies known as 'Birdman'. All this changed when after refusing to return to the role for a fourth film in the series, Thompson became something of a nobody in the movie world - left behind in an ever developing media.
However, Thompson believes he has found a way of scraping back an ounce of artistic integrity - by directing and starring in a self-financed Broadway production of a popular Raymond Carver novel. With the help of an extremely talented but demanding luminary (Edward Norton), a first time actress who cannot quite believe that she's made it to the stage (Naomi Watts) as well as his lawyer (Zach Galifianakis) and his resentful assistant/daughter (Emma Stone) Thompsons' dream of a renaissance begins to become a reality. But as opening night quickly approaches and those around him and critics begin to scrutinize his motives, Thompsons ego slowly begins to take over, potentially destroying his career on both the stage and the screen forever.
Unlike the doom and incessant gloom of recent Inarritu films such as '21 Grams', 'Babel' or the self-indulgent 'Biutiful', 'Birdman' continuously fizzes with energy, passion and a tremendously infectious euphoria - a sentiment reflected in both the pitch-perfect performances delivered by it's astounding cast as well as the wonderfully dynamic, hilarious, biting and instantly memorable screenplay written by Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr, Armando Bo and Inarritu himself. Leading this cast is the aforementioned Michael Keaton in a role that is made all the more interesting due to the similarities between his characters and his own past-experiences as an A-list superstar. Watching 'Birdman', it's hard not to compare the fictional career of Riggan Thompson with that of the former Bruce Wayne and it is clear that Keatons performance is injected with more than just a tinge of self-effacing reality and autobiographical regret. However, rather than posing as something of a gimmick, this coincidence only helps to add intriguing subtext to the role in a portrayal that makes for the most powerful and indelible performance of Keatons career to date.
While Keaton is indeed the main focus of the narrative, each actor in 'Birdman' is given their individual change to shine. Edward Norton is joyously vile as an over-privileged and arrogant t luvvie who attempts to take control of Thompsons entire production, Naomi Watts is strikingly unhinged as an actress who can't quite believe her luck and Emma Stone is amazingly sympathetic but equally snarky as Thompsons damaged, overworked daughter/assistant who resents her father for abandoning her while making the movies that made his name in the first place. Even the usually anarchic Zack Galifianakis is unusually quiet but equally funny in the role of Riggans desperate lawyer. As a cast, each actor brings their all to their respective roles and not since 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' have I seen a group of performers possess such a powerful on screen comradeship and unity,
However, Thompson believes he has found a way of scraping back an ounce of artistic integrity - by directing and starring in a self-financed Broadway production of a popular Raymond Carver novel. With the help of an extremely talented but demanding luminary (Edward Norton), a first time actress who cannot quite believe that she's made it to the stage (Naomi Watts) as well as his lawyer (Zach Galifianakis) and his resentful assistant/daughter (Emma Stone) Thompsons' dream of a renaissance begins to become a reality. But as opening night quickly approaches and those around him and critics begin to scrutinize his motives, Thompsons ego slowly begins to take over, potentially destroying his career on both the stage and the screen forever.
Seemingly shot in one extraordinary take, 'Birdman' is a marvel of camera trickery and cinematography - destined to be dissected and studied by film students around the world for many years to come. Director of photography Emmanuel Lubezki, whose previous work includes Tim Burton' gothic horror 'Sleepy Hollow', Terrence Malicks experimental 'The Tree Of Life' and Alfonso Cuarons' 'Gravity' masterfully manages to capture and personify each characters growing anxieties through his ever-frenetic and inimitably idiosyncratic technique; turning the mundane into roller-coasters of emotion and vibrating tension. Thankfully, while Lubezki's overly dramatic work may appear to overpower 'Birdman', this potentially intrusive stye never detracts from the story or characters, meaning that the vibrant colours and hypnotic pans and zooms of the camera can subconsciously wash over us as we become more and more caught up in the various characters motivations and respective goals.
Unlike the doom and incessant gloom of recent Inarritu films such as '21 Grams', 'Babel' or the self-indulgent 'Biutiful', 'Birdman' continuously fizzes with energy, passion and a tremendously infectious euphoria - a sentiment reflected in both the pitch-perfect performances delivered by it's astounding cast as well as the wonderfully dynamic, hilarious, biting and instantly memorable screenplay written by Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr, Armando Bo and Inarritu himself. Leading this cast is the aforementioned Michael Keaton in a role that is made all the more interesting due to the similarities between his characters and his own past-experiences as an A-list superstar. Watching 'Birdman', it's hard not to compare the fictional career of Riggan Thompson with that of the former Bruce Wayne and it is clear that Keatons performance is injected with more than just a tinge of self-effacing reality and autobiographical regret. However, rather than posing as something of a gimmick, this coincidence only helps to add intriguing subtext to the role in a portrayal that makes for the most powerful and indelible performance of Keatons career to date.
While Keaton is indeed the main focus of the narrative, each actor in 'Birdman' is given their individual change to shine. Edward Norton is joyously vile as an over-privileged and arrogant t luvvie who attempts to take control of Thompsons entire production, Naomi Watts is strikingly unhinged as an actress who can't quite believe her luck and Emma Stone is amazingly sympathetic but equally snarky as Thompsons damaged, overworked daughter/assistant who resents her father for abandoning her while making the movies that made his name in the first place. Even the usually anarchic Zack Galifianakis is unusually quiet but equally funny in the role of Riggans desperate lawyer. As a cast, each actor brings their all to their respective roles and not since 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' have I seen a group of performers possess such a powerful on screen comradeship and unity,
At face value, 'Birdman' is a scintillating experience full of breathtaking imagery, wonderful performances and brilliantly biting dialogue. However just beneath the surface, it is a strange, bizarre, wry, fascinating and acerbic commentary about the cultural battles that govern
our cultural palette today - broadway and the movies,
mega-budget productions and the art house and even the artist and the
critic; the last making for some marvelously uncomfortable viewing. Much like it's main protagonist, there is a lot more to 'Birdman' than what first meets the eye.
No comments:
Post a Comment