Almost every bit of marketing and every trailer I’ve seen for the new Alejandro González Iñárritu (AMORES PERROS, BABEL) film BIRDMAN was immediately intriguing. The movie features Michael Keaton as an actor known for playing a superhero on the big screen (irony?), who is now trying to take on a Broadway play. The impressive supporting cast includes Emma Stone, Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Amy Ryan and Zach Galifianakis. Keaton is one of those actors that everyone seems to love, but in recent years has been forgotten by Hollywood. This may be the production that finally helps everyone realize the man has still very much got what it takes.

The story opens showing us Riggan (Keaton), a washed up Hollywood actor, hovering a few feet off the floor in a yoga position inside a theater dressing room. He narrates, asking “How did we get here?” We soon learn the narration is actually his superhero big screen alter ego from years ago, Birdman. As the story progresses, we see Riggan exhibiting powers of a sort, moving objects with his mind and whatnot. It is unclear if this is all in his head or if we’re supposed to believe he really can do these things, but the voice he hears is obviously just for him. Riggan is attempting to helm a Broadway production of Raymond Carver’s “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love”, in which he also headlines, and his nervous attorney Jake (Zach Galifianakis) is co-producing with him. One of the stars Lesley (Naomi Watts) brings in her cocky actor boyfriend Mike (Edward Norton) to replace an injured cast member, while the other female lead Laura (Andrea Riseborough) is not-so-carefully hiding her affair with Riggan, even telling him she may be pregnant. Riggan’s daughter Sam (Emma Stone) works for her father, but is fresh out of rehab, and we can see their relationship is a bit strained. At first it appears Mike is going to be a brilliant addition to the play, but appearances are deceiving, and Riggan starts to face the reality that this production may in fact be doomed… and what will that mean for his already waning career?

BIRDMAN or THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE is shot purposely to look like one long take, with the camera following the action, even encompassing minor passages of time, never once breaking away from the characters. In many ways it’s as if we, the audience, are watching a play and walking around the stage with the actors. It’s also quite brilliant to watch, as Iñárritu has shown us something magical and strange that is a welcome addition in this day and age of remakes, reboots and sequels. On the surface people might think this is an obvious parallel to Michael Keaton’s career starring in the BATMAN movies for Tim Burton, then fading into obscurity within the Hollywood system. While there can certainly be comparisons drawn there, it’s actually not that close. Keaton has been working through the years, just on smaller films, or productions where he’s not playing the lead. BIRDMAN is a return to form for the seasoned actor, showing he can hold his own with some of the best and brightest in the business today. His scenes with Edward Norton are phenomenal, and there’s more than a few moments where he shines reading what would normally feel like ‘matter of fact’ dialogue. There’s an honesty in Keaton’s performance and candid quality that reminds us all just how good he’s capable of being on the big screen. It’s also not a glamorous role at all, at times requiring the actor to look and sound awful and pathetic, but the sincerity shows through and forces us to sympathize with the man. If this doesn’t earn him an Oscar nomination I’d be shocked.

The supporting roles are all perfectly cast. Edward Norton chews the scenery as the overconfident and self-destructive actor thrown into the play at the last second. He’s like a kid who is really, really good at what he does, but is still very much a kid. Norton finds the perfect balance of manic insanity and selective vulnerability in his reading, and it’s easily one of the best characters to hit screens this year. Naomi Watts is great as the appreciated but somewhat naive leading lady, and Andrea Riseborough is terrific as Riggan’s side fling who isn’t appreciated nearly enough. Emma Stone also has great moments as Riggan’s distanced daughter trying to figure out her place in life, and Zach Galifianakis is fun as the increasingly manic producing partner watching his leading man losing control. The only character I wanted more of, or at least the one that felt a tad underdeveloped, was Riggan’s ex-wife played by Amy Ryan. They have a few different scenes in the story, but you get the feeling there was more to be explored there, and Ryan is (as always) so good in her brief moments that I would have loved an expansion on those story elements.

It’s safe to say BIRDMAN isn’t a film everyone will appreciate, but it is a movie that could be talked about for days and dissected for its many layers. Even the jazzy retro music that compliments the soundtrack feels like a throwback to a forgotten era of filmmaking. What’s most important about it is that it reminds us how imaginative films can be and how we as audiences should expect more from modern day cinema. There’s commentaries here about celebrity and fame, about the importance of love and family, and how art and its purity isn’t something everyone can truly understand. To explain it further would be spoiling the fun, but in this reviewer’s opinion BIRDMAN is one of the more incredible entries to hit box offices this year, and is worth every ounce of the hype it has received. See it with friends and make time to discuss it after.

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