Score: ****1/2 out of ***** (A)
Long Story Short: Birdman is a fascinating drama that toys with what is real and what isn't (on many different levels) in the form of the production of a play in New York. Foremost in the intricate web of fantasy and reality is the casting of Michael Keaton as a one-time superhero star who looks for a renewal after becoming forgotten (sound familiar?) But that's just the icing - the real substance of Birdman is the virtuosic long-take style in which it is filmed, along with the great performances and even soundtrack that goes with it. One of the best movies of the year - both in quality and entertainment value.
I was not expecting to be able to see the movie I am reviewing today, so the month is turning out to be even more packed than expected! Starting next weekend, the first in December, the focus will likely shift back to blockbusters as the holiday movie season gets underway. When I read about the premise of this awhile back (same as ever), I was immediately amused by the interaction of the premise and the leading man (more on this later). Later I found that the film was not just a straight-up comedy, as I had assumed it would be - it was also getting glowing reviews as an Oscar contender. Like last week's film, I assumed it would be just a limited release and therefore get nowhere near my theater - but I got lucky again! Birdman was directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Babel) and stars Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone, et. al.
Riggan (Keaton) is a Hollywood actor trying to re-establish his fame through the production of (he's writing, directing and starring in) a play in New York. Years ago, Riggan played a very popular superhero character - Birdman - which won him fame and fortune for three films, before he decided to quit the franchise. The story begins perhaps just a week or so before the play's premiere, and trouble abounds. A key cast member has to be replaced suddenly, and a talented yet hard-to-handle theater star, Mike Shiner (Norton) takes his place. As Riggan tries to rein in Mike, he also deals with his secret girlfriend - and co-star - Laura (Riseborough), and his miserable daughter, Sam (Stone), who is his assistant.
Riggan gets the production through several previews, all of which suffer disasters of varying degrees. While he is starved for the attention and the fame of his earlier career, he's unsure if he can - or even wants to - reclaim it through the theater. With the ghost of Birdman ever present in his mind, Riggan tries to juggle both his personal and professional relationships as they push and pull him in all different directions.
Birdman has a great cast, and it produces some tremendous performances. Michael Keaton is the lead as Riggan, the former Birdman. Although he strangely denies it, Keaton is the obvious choice for this role with his parallel history as the first film actor to play Batman. Fortunately, Keaton goes beyond this meta-appropriateness to deliver a great performance. Most strikingly, he is convincing as a star who knows the ropes (of fame and dealing with other big personalities, at least) and has become utterly and unconsciously driven entirely by his ego - yet he's also wearied and scarred from years in the business, insecure from his lack of recent success and lack of experience on the stage. He inhabits both of these sides quite naturally. And while the film is primarily a drama, he leads the way in shifting smoothly into some quirkier and/or humorous moments as well (one scene even recalls a Will Ferrell stunt that had everyone laughing out loud).
Birdman has great supporting roles aplenty. Most notable is Edward Norton as Broadway hotshot Mike. He has such effortless confidence - both his character, and his playing the character - that he steals the show several times. Sometimes it borders on caricature, but he's so good and entertaining that it doesn't matter. Emma Stone is also excellent, showing a broad range from juvenile indifference to, occasionally, explosive fury. She is the emotional center of the film, and not just because she's Riggan's daughter. Zach Galifianakis is the revelation in the cast, as Riggan's friend and lawyer/manager: yes, he's funny of course, but he shows some real acting chops here, too. And there are several other good, though small roles: Andrea Riseborough as Riggan's girlfriend, Amy Ryan as his ex-wife, and Naomi Watts as a co-star in the play.
I tend to focus on story and characters to determine the quality of a film, and view other components as secondary or less. However, the strength of Birdman is driven by the way that it was made and by the performances (I make the distinction here to characters). Think you've seen long takes - in other words, the film is seen through one camera for an extended period without editing - in other movies? You ain't seen nothing yet. The camera twists and turns and snakes through the theater in Birdman for ten, twenty, thirty minutes at a time and more. I can only think of a handful of times that there is a somewhat clear break in the filming. Sometimes there are seamless time jumps, using the same location, but it creates the effect of a living, breathing production. Simply marvelous work by Emmanuel Lubezki (Children of Men, Gravity). The film also has a cool, naturalistic soundtrack driven by drums, with occasional breaks into orchestral/theatrical excerpts. And you've already read about the great performances.
While it's secondary this time, in my mind, it's worth talking at least a little about the story. Part of it is personal, with Riggan and both his girlfriend and ex-wife - both of these are minor and not all that original. Most prominent is the fondness that develops between Mike and Sam - but all these relationships feel almost intentionally cliched (not that they're bad; and they're also brief). The Riggan-Sam, father-daughter relationship is the most serious, and plays into the other main aspect. That is what gets back to why Keaton was the obvious leading man: his career trajectory. The film critiques blockbusters, but more so the people who aggrandize themselves through those works. It also pokes at the other side, the art-y, theater culture - and both of these cultural models get dressed down in one withering exchange between a NYTimes reviewer and Riggan.
***
Birdman is not and likely will not become a favorite for me - but it is undeniably an excellent and enjoyable film. It combines a little from each of the "film types" I've talked about earlier this fall - creative, ambitious, risky ones and conventional, solid ones - into one great package. I can't emphasize enough how great the filmmaking itself is (the creative, risky parts), with those long takes; it's utterly dazzling, and also fits perfectly with the tone and setting of the film. The performances themselves are great and slightly theatrical (beyond the literal setting) themselves, and the soundtrack goes right along with both the camerawork and performances to create the very enjoyable experience. This all overshadows both the personal elements (the conventional, solid parts) and even Riggan's story (and the film's cultural critique of) of the resurrection/transformation of an acting career. There's even - I haven't had time to mention it yet - some magical elements, which are small and relatively subtle until the final act of the film, where it allows for individual interpretation of the ending. Simply put, if you are able to see this film, I highly recommend that you do so.
"Birdman poster" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Birdman_poster.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Birdman_poster.jpg
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