Once in a long while, a film comes along that completely blows me away, and I am reminded why I love cinema. Birdman was one of those moments, when what’s on screen echoed life in a way that transcended definition.
Yes, the uninterrupted one-shot scenes that lasted more than 10 minutes each were impressive from a technical and logistical standpoint (in fact, the whole film was made to look as if it was done in a single shot – brilliant work by cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki!), but for me, it was the performances that took my breath away.
What a cast! Edward Norton as the egotistical star threatening to steal the show; Naomi Watts as the nervous actress making her Broadway debut; Emma Stone as a fresh-out-of-rehab daughter struggling to find her footing (Keep an eye out for her incredible monologue. You have a new fan Emma!);
Amy Ryan as the understanding ex-wife and emotional pillar; Andrea Riseborough as the lover with low self-esteem; Zach Galifianakis as the stressed out producer; Lindsay Duncan as the caustic theatre critic determined to destroy the Hollywood hack who was desecrating the hallowed grounds of the stage.
At the centre of the mayhem was the aging star of the “Birdman” superhero franchise, Riggan Thompson (played by Michael Keaton). Desperate for a comeback, Thompson invested everything he had to write, direct and star in a Broadway play. Keaton, in a watershed moment of his career, beautifully portrayed the insecurity and vulnerability of a man giving it all in exchange for a sliver of recognition and validation.
Keaton’s performance, underpinned by his own history of playing “Batman”, was in equal parts hilarious, exhilarating and heartbreaking. Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu delivered an inspired work of art that opened my mind and left me astounded. I can only hope that I will feel this way again, and with some luck maybe even more than once, in this lifetime.
WATCH: BIRDMAN – Official International Trailer
P.S. The soundtrack featuring the AMAZING jazz drumming by Antonio Sanchez is out of this world!