This is perhaps the best movie I have seen this year.
Birdman (Michael Keaton, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Amy Ryan, Emma Stone) – My friend, Scott, rates movies largely on the basis of their originality. On that score, Birdman is the film of the year. I totally enjoyed this journey into the mind of an aging actor named Riggan (masterfully played by Pittsburgh native Michael Keaton).
Written and directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu (Oscar nominated for Babel and the director of Biutiful and 21 Grams), this behind-the-scenes look at both a Broadway play and the insecure actors who bring characters to life is not pretty. The theaters are old, crowded, and creaky, which fits perfectly with Riggan’s character. You see, Riggan starred in 1992 as Birdman, a super-hero whose franchise made a fortune at the box office. But Riggan refused to do “Birdman 4,” and his career went in the toilet.
Fast-forward 20 years, and Riggan is trying to make a comeback, not on the big screen but on The Great White Way. He has written an adaptation of a serious four-person play and spent his life’s savings to bring it to Broadway with the intention of directing and starring in it, too.
Things are not going well. His co-star gets hurt in a freak rehearsal accident just before previews. As fate would have it, a renowned and volatile Broadway star (played by Edward Norton) is available and steps in on short notice, bringing a few script changes and new life to the play. His girlfriend/co-star is pregnant. His ever-present daughter (Emma Stone, whose eyes seem to be computer-enhanced) is just out of rehab and seems lost and confused. And the make-it-or-break-it New York Times critic is absolutely committed to “kill” the play because she hates what Riggan stands for.
Meanwhile, Riggan is haunted by his Birdman past, hearing the character’s voice. When he is alone, he even has some of the super-hero’s powers. This fuels his insecurities as opening day approaches. Under pressure from his manager (played by Zach Gallifianakis) to get his act together, Riggan becomes less and less stable.
With special effects that could have gotten in the way but didn’t, Birdman is a psychological journey that insists that the audience suspend disbelief. Don’t try to figure it out; just go with it. And if you figure out the ending, you are a more discerning viewer than I.
Michael Keaton is spectacular (and Oscar-nomination worthy). Norton is otherworldly. Naomi Watts, who starred in Inarritu’s 21 Grams, is impressive as an actress making her Broadway debut. With many Oscar nominations to come, I urge you to see Birdman before it leaves your town.