It is modern day New York City. Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton) has just lost an actor in a freak accident involving a stage light. He brings in Mike (Edward Norton,) a highly acclaimed but notoriously difficult to work with actor whom he books through co-star Lesley (Naomi Watts.) Riggan then deals with such issues as being an obsolete actor in a world of top notch players, his brutally honest ex-wife (Amy Ryan) and daughter (Emma Stone) and a powerful critic (Lindsay Duncan) who will stop at nothing to destroy his play. This all seems like a fairly standard set up for an entertaining comedy/drama. However, Birdman (Or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) seems to be set in a world entirely different from the one it is said to be. This could potentially be attributed to many factors. It could be that the actors in this film are known for being able to disappear into any role given to them or the fact that the direction by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu is meant to evoke the feeling of one long tracking shot.
Whatever the reason is, the film is fantastic and ends up being significantly more than it suggests. Through two actors, the film creates a semi-autobiographical feel. Keaton, playing a man who famously portrayed a superhero and is now stuck in acting limbo, once played Batman and then, at least for a while, seemed to be doing mediocre and by the numbers all too well (Desperate Measures, Multiplicity, Speechless, Quicksand, ETC.) Meanwhile, Norton plays an actor who is praised for his talent but is also regarded as an ass of the highest order. In real life, Norton is a great actor when the opportunity presents itself but is also quite a tough person to get along with, according to eyewitness accounts (lest we forget that infamous filming of The Incredible Hulk.) By taking two actors who share the feelings, attitudes and actions of their characters in the real world and placing the film in a brassy, downright futuristic New York City, the film gives these two the opportunity to once again revel in their talents.
The film also does something else really well. Not for a second is it dumb about anything it presents. This is a smart film, which presents seemingly simplistic ideas in a fascinatingly complex light. Even Duncan's role as a bitchy critic is original if not altogether plausible. The film is even smart enough to allow the audience to understand where the critic is coming from. She has no reason to be doing what she's planning to do and yet the film does a great job of making the audience think she does. It's also interesting to see a film where Ryan, as Keaton's ex-wife and Zach Galifianakis, as Keaton's buddy/manager are the two most straight laced characters in the film. These are two gifted actors who generally thrive on the act of being broad and ridiculous and hysterical so the fact that they get to prove their dramatic chops here is refreshing and wonderful to watch.
The acting is great all around and Inarritu not only directs the film with great flair and passion but also has co-written a script (along with Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo) that is equally smart, hilarious, sad, touching, beautiful and glorious. Unlike most scripts with a larger than average amount of credited writers, the four writers here makes sense. This script is far from a one person or even a two person job. There are so many clever and substantial lines it takes at least two viewings to catch everything that's so great about this film. I, myself, have only seen it once and am dying to go see it again to catch the abundance of lines I probably missed.
With more to recommend than can be summed up in one review, Birdman (Or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) is a magical film experience. True to what the craft of cinema should be and essential to view on the big screen, this is one that should be seen by all who love film and the art of making a project immediately.
(5 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for language throughout, some sexual content and brief violence)
No comments:
Post a Comment