Film Review: Birdman (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Movies. They're so fake. So shallow and pointless. All style and no substance. Pretentious. And the people who make them...are they truly artists, or nothing more than a group of rich, snobby, spoiled hacks? In today's world of Michael Bay movies, viral videos, and reality TV, it would seem that the art of film, and the art of acting and performances, is often drowned out in pure pop-culture noise and trash.

These are a few of the main points made by Birdman, the humble story of an aging actor with a dream to become an accomplished actor on Broadway. After a career built entirely on a popular superhero, the man endures the ongoing struggle of his ego, with part of him wanting to fall back on his fame and fortune, and the other half wanting to strive for genuine artistic merit. Surrounded by various other characters at different ends of the spectrum, he's thrust into a downward spiral of madness.

As you can see, it's an interesting story with some meaty themes worth exploring. The experience of watching this story can be pretty rewarding; it maintains a darkly humorous tone throughout, with plenty of sharp dialogue. There are a few moments where the character's mental state induces weird scenes where he's flying like the titular Birdman. For the most part though, this is a straightforward dramedy that hinges entirely on the execution of its plot and characters. On those merits alone, I'd say it's an interesting and thought-provoking story worth seeing.

As far as the style goes, the cinematography is the film's most impressive asset. Much like Rope and Enter the Void, the vast majority of the film transits from scene to scene seamlessly, with hardly any cuts up until the end. It gives the film a very even flow, and it is especially smooth how the camera steadily tracks all the action and characters down narrow hallways and crowded streets, the way Kubrick's films often did. Acting is another great asset in this film. Every character in this film is somewhat unhinged; Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone, and every other actor is effectively perfect. The script is really sharp and poignant, although some dialogue can be rather raunchy. This production uses stylish and real-looking sets, props, and costumes. The few special effects used are neat. Music consists mostly of drums, and I loved it.

This is a good-looking film with an interesting story that's told really well. That in itself makes it worth seeing at least once.

4/5 (Experience: Pretty Good | Story: Good | Film: Perfect)