Directed by: Alejandro G. Iñárritu

Starring: Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts, Edward Norton

Runtime: 119 Minutes

Rated: R

   Birdman is not a movie you come by everyday. It is not a film that most will run to the theater and see. And it is not just a comedy. It is satire on every level, drama through every motion and pure ecstasy to gaze at. Birdman is a real winner, as proclaimed by the Academy Awards (Winner of Best Picture).

   Riggan Thompson (Michael Keaton) is a “been there, done that” former Hollywood Actor, washed up and beat down by every critic at some point of his life. Now, he runs a theatre on Broadway to be taken as a much more serious actor. It is there that he struggles to cooperate with his rebellious daughter (Emma Stone) and a “new” actor (Edward Norton), whom in the eyes of Thompson, takes method acting a bit too seriously. Meanwhile, Thompson finds himself having psychological breakdowns, envisioning his most notable character from his past film career: a superhero named Birdman. Birdman is the sort of biased conscience of Thompson, who discourages him to do the wrong thing almost every time a problem erupts. In this, Thompson is faced with the dilemma to overcome this production, the critics, Broadway, and the stereotypes of his acting career.

   When viewing this film, one film in particular came to my mind. Federico Fellini’s 1963 masterpiece 8 ½ takes a similar approach to someone’s career and how to overcome the obstacles that have been laid in front of it. Birdman is very similar to that film. They are both beautiful films, both technically and aesthetically. The shots alone in Birdman and 8 ½ will put any filmmaker to shock, with how brilliantly they are executed. The story is not just what is shown, but is also what you want it to be, or how you can apply it to a bigger concept. They are both large metaphors to everyday life, struggling to change the past, but yet not focusing enough to change the future.

   The acting is also worthy of the many accolades that the film has received. Michael Keaton gives the performance of a lifetime in this film and Edward Norton plays a difficult character, exceptionally. The one man, however, that the cast and crew should thank the most is director Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu. Iñárritu, as shown by his previous films, is a brilliant talent, who has created something original (which is not too common in Hollywood today). The one-shot sequence of the film works astoundingly to the point where it isn’t just visually pleasing, but it also helps put us into the story. It is as if we are actually there, yelling at Edward Norton, perplexed by Emma Stone, and sympathizing with Michael Keaton.

   Birdman is a picture that you do not come by very often and it is that reason for why you should go and see it. Even if you do not appreciate its cleverness and talent, you can still have tremendous respect for its originality.