My 200 Favorite Movies: Keaton and Norton Look Into the Mirror in BIRDMAN

Photo Credit: 20th Century Studios/FOX

(Editor's note: This was originally written in 2016.)

Ever since the 2014 Best Picture winner started playing on HBO, I haven't been able to turn it off. Birdman, as director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu has said many times, is a "bat shit crazy film." As is often the case with Best Picture winners, it has received some after-the-fact criticism -- namely that it's a "gimmick" that won't have the staying power or long-term significance of its primary competitor, Richard Linklater's Boyhood -- but I think Birdman holds up just fine on its own. There's so much going on in this wacky film; where do I start...

Well, the casting was pitch-perfect. It helps that Inarritu had many of these actors in mind when he wrote the parts; nevertheless the end result was an inspired cast that played beautifully off each other. The creative arguments and power struggles between actor/director Riggan Thomson (a revitalized Michael Keaton) and his co-lead Mike Shiner (the always-awesome Ed Norton) work, the fractured father/daughter relationship between Riggan and Samantha (Emma Stone, in quite possibly her best performance) feels genuine, the chemistry between Mike and Samantha is there, the friendship and business partnership between Riggan and his agent Jake (Zach Galifianakis) seems to have roots, etc. Basically, everything came together for Inarritu the way Riggan hoped it would with his stage production of Raymond Carver's What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. 

So what exactly is Birdman about? Well, (1) It is a biting criticism of the devolution of the film industry. Birdman symbolizes Michael Keaton's role in the cinematic history of Batman, the franchise that (Inarritu and I feel) opened the floodgates to the dominant reign of the superhero genre. I don't know about you, but I was already sick of superhero films over a decade ago. The only ones I kind of like are The Dark Knight and Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man 2 (with Doc Oc), but neither are enjoyable enough to crack my top 100.

So, I immediately connect with Inarritu's premise. It may not be the most original idea in the world at this point -- many others have noted the fact that lazy film making gets rewarded when studio superhero sequels break the bank -- but it's still an idea that I personally believe in. 

(2) Birdman explores the divide between true actors aka "artists" and "movie stars." Like, say, Philip Seymour Hoffman (RIP) and Christian Bale are artists; Vin Diesel and Keanu Reeves are movie stars. Keaton as Riggan skis skillfully down this slippery slope -- we can clearly see that Riggan's trying to be an artist, but he simply doesn't have Mike's acting chops. This concept actually creates an interesting internal debate, like, Denzel Washington is an artist and movie star; he has true crossover appeal, but what is Tom Cruise? How about Mark Wahlberg? Matt Damon? Anyway, that's a discussion for a different day. 

(3) This is a movie about the fine line between fantasy and reality. Does Riggan actually possess Birdman's superpowers, or has the downward spiral of his once-promising career caused him to go nuts? Inarritu's handling of this tricky thread is a thing of beauty. Sure, Riggan flies around town, but when he "lands" it appears that he has forgotten to pay his cabby for the ride. Or did he actually fly? These blurred lines appear, disappear and re-appear throughout the film. 

At some point I have to mention the fact that the entire movie attempts to present itself as one, long, single take (with two or three brief cuts). I guess that's where the "gimmick" talk comes in, but I personally liked the directorial decision. The long takes create movement, energy and a sense of the stakes. Inarritu's personal fire and energy come through in the camera work and quick transitions from one zany storyline to the next. 

And - quite importantly - Birdman closes strong. The ambiguous ending has rightfully become a topic of much debate and meticulous analysis. What do you think happened when Riggan jumped out of his hospital room window?

** John Frascella's Score: 9.5 out of 10 **

MY UP-TO-DATE ARCHIVE OF ALL REVIEWS AND RECENT MOVIES SEEN

Inglourious Basterds (10/10) - Review Coming Soon

Birdman (9.5/10)

The Irishman (9.5/10)
Up in the Air (9.5/10)
Steve Jobs (9.5/10)
Django Unchained (9.5/10) - Review Coming Soon
Collateral (9.5/10)
No Country for Old Men (9.5/10)
The Wrestler (9.5/10)
The Drop (9.5/10)
Zodiac (9.5/10)
Kramer vs. Kramer (9.5/10)
Margin Call (9/10)
Office Space (9/10)
The Hateful Eight (9/10) - Review Coming Soon
Marriage Story (9/10)
Hannah and Her Sisters (9/10)
Mystic River (9/10)
L.A. Confidential (9/10)
Lady Bird (9/10)
Stay (9/10)
Gone Girl (9/10)
Nocturnal Animals (9/10)
45 Years (9/10)
The Edge of Seventeen (9/10)
Bernie (9/10)
Lucky Number Slevin (9/10)
Tape (9/10)
A Perfect Murder (9/10)
Wanderlust (8.5/10)

War Dogs (8.5/10)
The Founder (8.5/10)
Jackie Brown (8.5/10) - Future Review
In Bruges (8.5/10)

Split (8.5/10)

Bad Moms (8.5/10)

Basquiat (8.5/10)
Love, Actually (8.5/10)

Moonlight (8/10)
Pretty Woman (8/10)
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (7.5/10) - No Review Available
Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (7.5/10) - No Review Available
Joker (7.5/10)
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (7.5/10)

The Revenant (7.5/10)
The Good Shepherd (7.5/10)

The Shallows (7.5/10)
Focus (7.5/10) 

The Night Before (7.5/10)
The Walk (7/10)

10 Cloverfield Lane (7/10)
Loving (7/10) - No review available
Death Proof (7/10) - No review available
Hail, Caesar! (7/10) - No review available
Escape Room (7/10)
Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood (6.5/10)
A Most Violent Year (6.5/10) - No review available
The Shape of Water (6/10) - discussed in this review
The Boy (6/10) - No review available
The Accountant (6/10) - No review available
Bridge of Spies (6/10) - No review available
The Firm (6/10) - No review available
Muhammad Ali: Say My Name (6/10) - No review available

Joy (5.5/10)
Taking Lives (5.5/10) - No review available

La La Land (5.5/10)
Pulp Fiction (5.5/10) - Future Review
Belichick and Saban: The Art of Coaching (5.5/10)
The Visit (5/10) - discussed in this review
The Mule (5/10) - No review available
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (5/10)
Make Love Great Again (5/10) - No review available
Molly's Game (5/10)
Set It Up (5/10)
Get a Job (5/10) - No review available
The Interpreter (5/10) - No review available
Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars (5/10) - No review available
Reservoir Dogs (4.5/10) - Future Review
Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (4.5/10) - No review available
Brooklyn (4.5/10) - discussed in this review, and this review
Ocean's 8 (4/10)
Everything Must Go (4/10) - No review available
Why Him? (3.5/10) - No review available
The Program (3/10)
Open Water 3: Cage Dive (3/10) - No review available
Pitch Perfect 3 (2/10)
Shut In (2/10) - No review available
Premonition (2/10) - No review available

Rings (1.5/10)
Mother's Day (1.5/10)
I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer (0/10) - No review available