Birdman (2015)

"People, they love blood. They love action. 

Not this talky, depressing, philosophical bullshit.”

A new year begins and the first film of 2015 that I went to see was the much anticipated ‘Birdman’.

Riggan Thomas, a washed-up actor who once played a movie superhero, struggles with his pride (and his sanity) as he desperately tries to mount a comeback on Broadway to prove that he’s a serious actor.

I was in two minds about ‘Birdman’ all the way through it.

I was in awe at the technical brilliance of the film-making and the terrific performances from the entire cast but at the same time it began to feel slightly gimmicky, at times self indulgent and way too long overall…

Michael Keaton plays Riggan Thomas and gives an absolutely fantastic performance. It really hits home when you’re dealing with an actor that has some very close ties to the character that they are playing. The fact that Keaton played Batman and how that ties into the whole Birdman aspect of the film is sometimes hard to watch as Keaton is torn apart by those around him. We can only watch on, helpless, as he tries to hold it together and find his feet as a "serious actor”. His sanity balances on a knife edge as he hallucinates and hears the voice of his Hollywood counterpart - Birdman. He constantly flips between making us laugh and really making us feel something profound. 

An unquestionably mature performance from a great actor, playing an actor, who is trying to be a great actor…

Edward Norton and Emma Stone also kill it in this movie alongside a notably subtle but hilarious performance from Zach Galifianakis. It always boosts the film when the calibre of the supporting cast is just as strong as the lead. It is a joy to watch and there are some immensely truthful and genuine moments from some very talented actors.

You really have to see ‘Birdman’ to believe it. 

Much like the film ‘Rope’ by Alfred Hitchcock, the entire film is shot in only a handful of long, unbroken takes. It runs more like a theatre piece than a film with minimal editing cuts, elaborate scene transitions and extremely intricate set pieces that will leave you wondering how they did it so smoothly.

This technique allows the audience to feel a part of the film in a way that a traditional narrative cannot because it’s an unbroken shot (with no cuts) that makes you feel like you are experiencing each moment alongside the actors. It’s an interesting way to shoot a film but it's not as revolutionary as it is being portrayed in the media. Although the concept of shooting a film nearly entirely in one shot isn’t revolutionary, the way they do it in ‘Birdman’ is most definitely revolutionary. I can’t see it becoming the norm in terms of shooting films but it has set the bar extremely high for the next filmmaker who wants to try and shoot a film in as close to one shot as they can get.

I believe the technique was used to enhance the feeling of disorientation in the audience and to help put across an accurate portrayal of having a mental health problem. It really throws you off when days are changing within shots and actors are appearing in different places within the same scene. It puts you into a whirlwind that helps you get to grips with and understand Riggan Thomas’ life.
The whole film has a lot of energy and it sweeps you off your feet.

This being said, it did feel a little gimmicky from time to time. The transitions and moments that are built with the long takes in mind are very impressive but, at the end of the day, end up taking you out of the film. I was distracted by the more gimmicky elements of the filming that weren’t really necessary. They felt a bit like the director showing off. 

I don’t want to take anything away from the astounding achievement and work that must have went into orchestrating those shots but it felt like overkill at times.

The film was way too long. 

There were moments where the film could have ended and it would have been great. However, it went on to give you a second ending and then a third… I was sitting in the cinema checking my watch hoping they’d wrap it up soon. Three different endings that took the tone of the film in three different directions. Each direction would have been fine but I felt like it had to commit to one.

It dragged on in that sense, combine that with the long takes and it becomes a very long piece to sit through, despite it only running for around 2 hours (which seems to be the average running length for a film these days).

‘Birdman' explores the battle between theatre and film and the critics surrounding it. It deals with the idea that just because you are in Hollywood blockbuster doesn’t mean you’re a bad actor and vise versa with theatre, just because you are in a small theatre production doesn’t mean you’re a good actor. It was a little “preachy” with it at times but it gets the point across fairly well. 

Michael Keaton delivers an awe-inspiring speech to a theatre critic that I will never forget as it sums up what so called “critics" are for a lot of people. I don’t consider myself a critic, I just like to talk about films, but there are “critics” out there who consider their opinions gospel. He talks about the artists who are bearing their souls and giving up everything on the stage/screen and for one critic’s opinion to have the power to affect whether or not their art is credible/successful is just ludicrous. Art is subjective and it really drives that point home with some compelling writing performed by a great actor.

It’s hard to rate ‘Birdman’ because I’m totally split down the middle as to what I thought about it. I really enjoyed certain aspects of it but was surprisingly disappointed by some parts of it. 

It was unusually funny and slightly weird, it was interesting and unique and had some terrific performances. However it was long, a bit self indulgent and almost confused as to what it was. I think the only fair way to rate it around the middle with a 6. Deceptively low but it seems fair considering I am in two minds.

I respect ‘Birdman’ for all of it’s technical achievements but didn’t necessarily like the film all that much. It left me with a lot to talk about so I guess that’s a good sign.

Definitely worth a watch. 
I'm sure it'll be nominated for a handful of Oscars so get in to see it before the hype!

Watch it and just try not to be impressed by it.