MOVIE REVIEW: BIRDMAN – “An Expected Virtue Of Cinematic Brilliance”

By now you’ve probably heard nothing but raves about this movie or even read through some message board topics where the members try to crack the film’s secrets or hidden messages. After watching the screening of the film the other night, I am happy to report that all of the good word of mouth the film has been receiving weren’t exaggerated at all and be considered as facts than opinion. Alejandro Iñárritu’s BIRDMAN is definitely the film you have been looking for all year or possibly all your life.

Birdman follows a washed-up blockbuster actor, Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton) who was remembered for donning the mantle known as “Birdman” on the big screen. But when he decided to hang up the cape wings and cowl he was no longer the Hollywood household name. He became broke, forgotten, and most of all insane to the point that he was estranged from his family. Thomson then sets out to re-invent himself as an artist by making a comeback in a Broadway play adaptation of Raymond Carver’s “What We Talk about When We Talk about Love” that he produced, directed, and starred in. But can he do so, when he is being haunted by his past?

MIRRORING REALITY

The film is really more than just poking fun at the blockbusters that the public embraced It builds stories around the culture of modern-day entertainment such as the duality behind the art of acting and filmmaking, the life of an actor and his family, snobby critics, special effects blockbusters, and a whole lot more. The world of the film feels alive more so than it is plain background. The film does mirror reality in a way; Iñárritu excellently explores our current culture in filmmaking and art itself.  The way they presented such ideas felt exaggerated but the more you think about what the film had to say, the more it makes sense. The film doesn’t really sugar coat such themes as it stated all the problems it had in our society with a lot of honesty.

In contrast, It really does feel like they are painting an exaggerated portrait of Michael Keaton’s life as an actor (if you listen to his monologues closely you do get hints of it) in a form of a black dramedy (where the laughs do hit); the film deals with an intriguing psychological character journey that makes you question the film’s bizarre imagery being presented and the messages the film conveys on-screen for the most part of the film. The kind of imagery and messages that instills an urge for you to piece the film together and know more about the film’s hidden gems and secrets.

A GRAND PLAY BY DESIGN

Director, Alejandro Iñárritu and Cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki (if we haven’t learned anything from Cuaron’s Gravity or Children of Men he loves his long takes) created an illusion that made this movie look like it is one long continuous take. Giving the film a true feel of watching a play that doesn’t rely too much on edits to chop off scenes and ruin the raw performances of the actors. Composer, Antonio Sanchez implements a percussion-only score as if it was made up in the moment though nonetheless he does present a good sense of rhythm throughout the movie. It was another evidence of it living up to the theme of the film being a grand play by design. In a way, it liven the scenery as if the music is being played as it was being filmed.

The camera never leaves its subject after all; it has a clever use of transitions as it never relies on presenting flashbacks with the help of fancy visuals but lets the actors’ raw performances help you visualize the best and mostly the worst of what they have gone through in their life. Due to the way it was shot and the help of a percussion-only score, there was an unpredictable aspect to the film. The filmmakers gave their audience a certain thrill of you not knowing where the film will take you.

NOTHING BUT GOLD

The film demands your attention from start to finish as it is packed with excellent performances from the cast. If the movie came out before all the nominations for the big award shows were announced, Now that we are in Awards season already I would say that he truly deserves all the praise and recognition. If it was released back then, I would’ve said that Michael Keaton will have a future where the grandest prizes are not far from his reach due to his brilliant and emotionally effective psychological performance that does showcase an impressive amount of range. This movie really was his comeback and it was nice to see him return to form.

Edward Norton deserves the same praise as well; when he made his first appearance on-screen you were just in awe as Keaton was in the same scene. You see how he works (despite how bat-shit crazy it was), and does explore his character deeper without any visuals at all just his delivery of the material given to him and how he executed it in his performance. Other notables such as Emma Stone (who shared a monologue that does bring awe in your eyes) and Zach Galifianakis making his best performance yet (thankfully they provided him some excellent material to work with and does provide some subtlety to his comedic performance). Again, the long takes does capture the raw performances very well and you never miss one moment of them performing without flaw.

CONCLUSION

Truly! Alejandro Iñárritu’s Birdman soars to great heights as it is thought provoking, emotionally impactful, but above all inventive to a fault. The result of Iñárritu’s virtuosity is one of the best thrill rides that should be experienced in the theater and essentially be the best films of the year so far – and the year had just begun people!

 Birdman opens at all Ayala Malls theaters nationwide January 28. Special thanks to 20th Century Fox Philippines.