Birdman

Birdman triumphed at the Oscars this year, winning best film and best director. My vote for best film would've been American Sniper, but Birdmans director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu is certainly deserved of recognition.
Emerging from his native Mexico with Amores Perros 15 years ago, Inarritu went on to achieve worldwide acclaim with his next two films, alongside writing partner Guillermo Arriaga. Subsequent years have seen him break away from Arriaga with films such as Biutiful and this years Birdman.

Inarritu makes films about the human condition, almost documentary-like in their execution. Each of Inarritus films is a close personal account of his subject, oozing visceral intimacy. Much beauty can be found in Inarritus films, but they are often joyless affairs, siding heavily on the dramatic. Well, Inarritu is set to break that trend with the hilarious Birdman!

Set on Broadway in contemporary New York, Birdman follows actor, Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton) on a quest to rediscover his craft and ultimately find meaning for his tired existence. Having established himself as a viable commercial entity with three Birdman films, Riggan is keen to shed the burden of his former super-hero persona. Riggan has chosen to direct and star in an adaptation of a Raymond Carver short story. Thought of as a left-field choice by his peers and critics (and a clichéd one at that), Riggan is keen to rise above the naysayers and produce something of significant artistic merit.

Birdman is Hollywood meets Broadway, with many of the actors at odds with themselves and their profession. The film buzzes with anxiety, as each star is driven to justify their existence on the stage. Michael Keaton is fabulous in the lead and carries the film exceedingly well. Having played Batman in real life, casting Keaton is a no-brainer - a master stroke, emphasising life imitating art parables.
Keaton is supported by a fantastic cast who all play upon their current notoriety, projected by a contemporary Hollywood. Edward Norton is the stand-out as the notoriously difficult Mike Shiner. We even find Naomi Watts experimenting with her female co-star in a great riff on her break-out role (Mulholland Drive).

It's interesting to see a film like Birdman do so well. It could so easily have been misconstrued as Hollywood massaging the egos of the elite, with a wry declaration of their official standing. It's fascinating to think there's an audience outside of Hollywood for this kind of movie. It says much about a society when we each know more about the celebrities and stars who surround us than we do our closest friends.

Despite the satiric nature of Birdman, the film looks deeper into the psyche of the artist - the creator. Specifically, Birdman looks at the justification for art and creativity, despite ones age and previous success. The creator creates - they don't stop.
The tortured artist is present here - a cliché perhaps, but no less a fact. Riggan is both his own worst critic and biggest supporter. As he goes about channelling his ideas to the stage, he is tripped-up and second-guessed by everyone in his company, not least by his biggest adversary - himself!
In an effort to overcome his anxieties, Riggan puts his best foot forward and produces something truly dynamic. Importantly Riggan recognises that art is paramount. The praise and accolades are inconsequential next to his performance and his production.

There's a point in Birdman which could easily have represented the end of the film. A further five minutes or so exceeds it. There's the suggestion that Riggan is mad (or psychologically unwell at least) and in a lightness of touch, Inarritu sees to it that his leads sanity is restored. It's suitably quirky but unnecessary in my opinion. It belittles the length and pains of Riggans journey.

Birdman is an intense warts 'n' all look at an artist in the midst of creation. The film could just as easily be about a painter or a musician. In a further twist of life imitating art, Birdman looks at the most commercial, most viable of artists - the Hollywood star!

4/5


Poster image courtesy: http://www.laweekly.com