Birdman Review

The Oscar nominees were announced yesterday, and there are some surprises. I like how Whiplash, my favorite film of 2014, was nominated for Best Picture, and it's good to see Dick Poop get the attention he deserves as a cinematographer (yes, I'm actually going to start with a joke about that flub). One movie that didn't surprise anybody was Birdman, which was nominated for many awards. I have seen this movie today, so now I am going to review it.

The film centers around Michael Keaton's character, who played the lead role in a superhero movie franchise twenty years ago, and now is a washed up actor who hasn't been in much lately (sound familiar). In an attempt to kickstart his career again, he writes, and stars in a Broadway play. The movie is about his struggles with his lack of confidence, as he tries to make this play.

This movie is advertised as a dark comedy, but it doesn't really have as many humorous scenes as you may think. It is also artsier than the average dark comedy, with most of the movie being done in one long take, and with frequent sequences that seem to be in his imagination.

The film's casting is clever. In addition to casting Michael Keaton in a role that could almost be considered autobiographical, there are also actors who were in other superhero movies, such as Edward Norton (The Incredible Hulk) and Emma Stone (The Amazing Spider-man).

The film itself is a pretty good one. It has an interesting story, and is very well directed. It's different from most movies, and I like that. It is not so much a comedy as a satire of the entertainment industry with occasional bursts of humor. It discusses the struggle of has-been actors, as well as how actors are treated according to others' expectations for them.

Birdman is an intriguing, unique movie, that is sure to win a few awards.

4.5 out of 5 stars