Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) - 2014
My goodness, the hype around this film was massive! “Keaton’s career defining performance!” “Inarritu goes rogue and uses eternal steady cam shots!” “Magical realism.” “The return of Norton”…on and on. But are the critics right? Or is this a self-infatuated love affair – a movie about making a movie (play)! – which all the Academy heads just cannot overlook? After all, this one definitely has some gimmicks of its own.
I think so. In fact, there are many reasons why this film is exceptional. Let’s start with the camerawork. Not only is it impressive; it’s immersive. It’s clear from the word go here that Keaton is not quite right mentally. In some very real senses, he’s in over his head with even attempting to mount this Broadway production. So, what do the long takes offer us? In short, a chance to dwell inside Keaton’s skull. We feel his claustrophobia, as he flies in and out of narrow halls, on and off stage, between characters, family, and friends past and present. His personal drama enters the shot and departs as quickly, and all the while, his alter-ego lurks in the background waiting for a chance to seize control. The camerawork also allows for the story to seamlessly shift from dialogue offstage to acting in the play onstage to these bits of magical realism with the Birdman. (Think Haneke’s Cache or Fellini’s 8 ½ – the true best movie about making a movie). It’s hard to imagine how Inarritu could have pulled all that off otherwise.
Norton is awesome as usual here, and his character’s arrogant defiance is a perfect foil for Keaton’s attempt to be taken seriously as an artist. Bits of irony are almost always mined for their humor (how about casting a former Batman as the actor who used to star in Birdman superhero films). When’s all said and done though, the end of the film will likely make or break it for many people. For my own part, I see about three or four possible interpretations of the events that transpire. I love breaking down the scenes which preceded it to identify hidden clues or mixed meanings. But, for some, the end will likely be an artsy-fartsy bow on an outside-the-box crapshoot of a film. You’ll have to make your own call.
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