Alejandro G. Inarritu's Best Picture-winning Comedy Drama following an aging former Hollywood star is still brilliant ten years later. Its psychological themes and entertainment industry satire are blended to create a unique experience.
Former movie star Riggan Thompson known for his portrayal of the superhero "Birdman" in the late '80s and early '90s is trying to regain recognition by writing, directing, and acting in a Broadway adaptation of the Raymond Carver short story "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love". Riggan, however, faces personal and professional challenges during production. He frequently hears the voice of his past self mocking him and has several versions of himself performing bizarre acts such as flying and telekinesis.
The mind of Riggan Thomson is a strange one, and Director Alejandro G. Inarritu ensures we are absorbed into his world. Inarritu and Cinematographer Emmanuel Lebezki make almost the whole film look like one continuous shot through various camera and editing tricks. From the heated drama on and behind the stage to the outside of the theater to a bustling New York City, the one-shot take allows you to feel every moment the story takes you. It puts us into the minds of Riggan and the other characters because we feel like an observer in their world. This allows the more fantastical scenes within Riggan's mind to come more naturally, as opposed to just cutting to them out of nowhere.
The innovative filmmaking wouldn't work if the actors didn't bring the same kind of commitment, which they do, and then some. The similarities between Keaton's filmography and Riggan's fictional one are very clever, and it works on more than just that level. This is a masterclass of acting Micheal Keaton displays, and it shows how versatile an actor Keaton is with his portrayal of a man going through a personal and artistic crisis. At times, Keaton's performance is hilarious and over the top, but when he has to adjust and be more down-to-earth for the emotional moments, he sells it. Keaton has to go in and out of these various moments at the drop of a hat throughout the film, and he pulls it off flawlessly. It's a tragedy that he didn't take home the Oscar for this film. The supporting cast around Keaton are all great as well. One of the standouts is Edward Norton as Mike Shiner, an acclaimed but self-absorbed Broadway actor. The way Mike goes about and tries to make the play more authentic (at least in his eyes) is constantly entertaining as he clashes with Riggan, the crew, and even the audience in the theater. Norton's performance is volatile, with a sarcastic wit that captures how out of touch some actors are. Much of the heart of the film lies in Riggan's relationship with his family, specifically with his ex-wife and former drug addict daughter. Amy Ryan and Emma Stone do a great job as the two characters who bring out Riggan's human side translating to some of the film's best and emotional moments.
Despite the film's deep ideas and ambiguous nature, it never allows itself to get lost in it. More specifically, it never loses the fact that this is a really funny movie. Inarritu's script, which he wrote in collaboration with 3 others (Jon Lesher, Arnon Milchan, and Armando Bo) is full of humorous character exchanges and lines of dialogue that ensure laughs will be had in this movie. Much of the comedy has to do with the film poking fun at the state of the entertainment industry and the dominance of social media, both of which Riggan believes are destroying the art form. Despite the film being a decade old, much of this satire still hits home today, maybe even a little bit more now.
Birdman is an absolute blast from start to finish. Despite being an arthouse film, it is very approachable and can be loved and appreciated by just about anyone. It never gets lost in its bizarreness and that makes for a mesmerizing and fascinating experience that after it's over you want to see it again to piece more of it together.
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