Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Birdman

A washed-up actor, who once played an iconic superhero, battles his ego and attempts to recover his family, his career and himself in the days leading up to the opening of his Broadway play.

Director:

Alejandro González Iñárritu (as Alejandro G. Iñárritu)

Writers:

Alejandro González Iñárritu (as Alejandro G. Iñárritu) , Nicolás Giacobone, 3 more credits »

 

Stars:

Michael Keaton, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton | See full cast and crew » 

 

 Storyline

 Actor Riggan Thomson is most famous for his movie role from over twenty years ago of the comic book superhero Birdman in the blockbuster movie of the same name and its two equally popular sequels. His association with the role took over his life, where Birdman is more renowned than "Riggan Thomson" the actor. Now past middle age, Riggan is trying to establish himself as a true artist by writing, directing, starring in and co-producing with his best friend Jake what is his Broadway debut, an adaptation of Raymond Carver's story, What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. He is staking his name, what little artistic reputation that comes with that name and his life savings on the project, and as such will do anything needed to make the play a success. As he and Jake go through the process of the previews toward opening night, Riggan runs into several issues: needing to find a replacement for the integral supporting male role the night before the first preview; hiring the talented .

User Reviews

 Every once in a while, there comes a movie that really invigorates someone with its performances, story, and direction. Birdman is one of those films that just delivers on all forms to bring a unique experience. While that sounds like over the top praise, I feel like this film will be heralded as a classic as the years fly on by.

Good: I love the story for this film as it encompasses pretty much everything that comes along with being in the entertainment world whether it is Hollywood or Broadway. It talks about the plight former A list actors have with trying to stay relevant, the over saturation of superhero movies and how every major actor seems to be a part of one, the battle between big budget movies against indie films, an actor's need for either credibility or box office draw, and the infiltration of Hollywood into Broadway among many other topics. It balances all of these subjects with grace and it never feels disjointed. Add to that the very meta and excellent performance by Michael Keaton, a hilarious turn from Edward Norton, a career best for Emma Stone, a revelatory one from Zach Galifianakis, and a great supporting cast helps makes the beautiful chaos on screen work. Then there's the direction which is marvelous how the movie seamlessly looks like it was shot in one take. Fantastic editing involved along with beautiful cinematography with some breathtaking shots.

Overall, this is one fantastic dissection of the entertainment industry without feeling pretentious and having a lot of fun doing it.