“Birdman” is a totally electrifying, exhilarating new film from director Alejandro G. Inarritu. It has been painstakingly choreographed to contain a series of extremely complex, long takes in which characters move around throughout the contours of the snaking corridors of a theatre’s backstage, stage, and exterior streets on Broadway in New York City.
Michael Keaton, in the performance of his life, plays Riggan, a washed-up, former action hero star (he played the title character “Birdman”, over two and a half decades ago) who is trying to revitalize his career through a new Broadway play in which he is the lead.
This is without a doubt one the best films of 2014 and has some of the greatest performances you will see from that year as well. Along with Keaton, there is Edward Norton, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts, Zach Galafianakis and others who contribute masterfully in their own parts to produce a work of surprising, jaw-dropping wonder.
It is an extremely self-reflexive piece: Keaton who like his character Riggan, hasn’t had a breakthrough role in many years, was the star of Batman in the late 80’s and early 90’s and Riggan’s role as “Birdman” wittily reminds the viewer of this former role and real-life parallel.
The film is also reminds us of certain themes such as the fleeting nature of stardom and fame in contemporary Hollywood. It is about the power of redemption and the fact that it is never too late to turn your life around and make amends to the people in your life who truly should be the most important.
With its extremely long takes (I imagine there were some tricks used to give the illusion that they are actually longer than they really are) the filmmaker produces a feeling of immediacy and buzzing excitement that you don’t see in many films. It also makes use of touches of surrealist fantasy to propel the film into territories that are truly amazing and inspiring.
Few films I have seen in recent years have left me with an ecstatic feeling of giddiness at the end as “Birdman.” It is probably my favorite film from 2014 and I will remember it for a long time.
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