Grade: A
I saw “Birdman” in the middle of a binge of three new movies in a five-day span. All of these movies were good.
The thing is, seeing “Birdman” in between the other two films made it more apparent how incredible “Birdman” is.
It is nice to be reminded of how creative and beautiful some filmmaking can be.
“Birdman” tells the story of a washed-up movie hero actor, Riggan Thomson, played by Michael Keaton, who is now trying to regain credibility and respect by directing and starring in a Broadway rendition of Raymond Carver’s “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love.”
This is a movie that explores acting and what it is that drives actors.
Before the film begins, a quote from Carver is presented that talks about wanting to feel beloved while on this planet.
Being beloved is what drives Thomson to attempt to put on such a play.
Being respected is what drives Thomson’s co-star Mike Shiner, who is played by Edward Norton.
Keaton and Norton are both on another level as actors in this movie. Both will likely be nominated for Oscars, and I think Norton should be a frontrunner for Best Supporting Actor.
They are both electric and it is astonishing to see how well they play actors playing a part as actors who are also playing a part in a play.
We sometimes see a certain scene in the play performed multiple times, and it is interesting to see how it is performed differently each time depending on the circumstances.
For a movie about acting, the direction is what puts this one with the elite films of the year.
Directed by Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu and filmed by Emmanuel Lubeski, who did “Gravity,” “Birdman” is shot to appear as, mostly, one continuous take.
The way the film maneuvered passages of time while never seeming to change the shot impressed me each time.
It is almost like this movie reinforces everything we need to know about acting.
That is that great acting needs to be highlighted by great direction in order to be appreciated. Then, a good script needs to be in place to make the acting or direction relevant.
The best word to describe how I felt about this movie is “awe.”
I was in awe watching the way the film was shot and watching how good acting can be.
It is nice to be reminded some times.
