Any discussion of Birdman must address the fact that the plot is skinny, and that in lesser hands this film would vanish without a trace. But of course this is the Film of the Year we’re talking about, not an indulgent and pretentious puff piece aimed at kudos rather than box office.
Then again Birdman received both (to a degree), mainstream success and critical adulation, with the actors and director lauded for their bravery and creativity.
Sitting through the film’s two hours and it’s not hard to see why. What is less obvious is why I would hang out to revisit this film.
Michael Keaton plays Riggan Thomson, a universally known actor, though regrettably for one recurring part as something of a superhero named Birdman (Batman?). Keen to re-establish his acting credibility Thomson is producing and directing a play, an adaptation of a renowned work miles away from his former feathered fame, he hopes this will prove him no mere one shot wonder.
It seems that factors are conspiring against him. Stress builds, Thomson starts talking to a poster of his famed character Birdman – and the poster talks back – his girlfriend is pregnant, his ex-junkie daughter (Emma Stone) isn’t making life easy, and his bona fide star last minute fill in Mike (Edward Norton) is making him look amateur in every area, not the least of which on his own stage in front of the warm up audiences.
Birdman examines the lengths a man will go to revisit former glory, but the film gained renown for its construction. Largely set in the one movie theatre over a couple of days, the film plays out as if a single unbroken shot (though it doesn’t take long to identify where the cuts really are). Generally following Thomson, the camera occasionally veers down halls and even outside the theatre to track the action of other characters also. You feel that you are there eavesdropping on the behind the scenes action and multiple interactions at once. It is clever and innovative and a little exhausting, and elevates the material beyond just another ‘film about actors’.
Birdman is a special and new film experience, excising some of the more familiar motifs in favour of the new. It is for that reason memorable and a laudable achievement. But Great? Possibly… Rewatchable? Not for me it isn’t?
Final Rating – 8 / 10. Just another ‘Best Film’ that will never end up in my personal blu-ray collection.