Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Writer: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Starring: Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone
It has been months since I first heard about this film so
this review may seem relatively late. The true horror is really that I saw it
two days ago on its release day. Don’t blame me; blame FOX Searchlight.
This film is pretty much a way of getting ALL the Oscars. The acting is incredible from all involved and the cinematography is impressive and unique. I can’t think of a film that is going to out-match Birdman in cinematography. The entire film (almost) is shot to look as if it is one continuous take. Michael Keaton’s character is an actor who used to play a fictional comic book character called Birdman. He has decided he is above the genre and has hopped over to Broadway to perform his own play.
The continuity of the film mirrors that of an actual play. A theatre actor just walks of to the side and no cuts can really be made in a play. The setting of the theatre is great as well. There are only a few rooms in the film to which the camera glides between. All the places and people clearly have some more symbolic value than it seems (although I can’t really recognise any of them on my first watch). The depth is apparent and certainly adds to the film.
This film will likely transcend Michael Keaton from Batman and Jack Frost to (hopefully) an Oscar winning actor. His character is so layered and believable. Saying this makes it seem like only Keaton’s performance is worth talking about. Literally everyone in this film is outstanding and all their characters are memorable.
The soundtrack is incredibly well used. It is pretty much entirely percussion. It is used to emphasise the frantic nature of the character at the moment when the drummer goes absolutely ham on his kit. I’d rather not spoil the moments in which they are used so I’ll just stop.
I don’t find anything particularly wrong with the movie but there is something about it that stops me from giving it a ten out of ten. It is a fantastic film but I can’t say I understand all the decisions in the film. There is a scene where two of the characters just start doing something that is a spoiler. I won’t tell you what they did but it seemed out of place. There where more than one moments like this which rather hinders my verdict. It is still easily the best film of 2015 so far.
Birdman receives a: 9/10
This film is pretty much a way of getting ALL the Oscars. The acting is incredible from all involved and the cinematography is impressive and unique. I can’t think of a film that is going to out-match Birdman in cinematography. The entire film (almost) is shot to look as if it is one continuous take. Michael Keaton’s character is an actor who used to play a fictional comic book character called Birdman. He has decided he is above the genre and has hopped over to Broadway to perform his own play.
The continuity of the film mirrors that of an actual play. A theatre actor just walks of to the side and no cuts can really be made in a play. The setting of the theatre is great as well. There are only a few rooms in the film to which the camera glides between. All the places and people clearly have some more symbolic value than it seems (although I can’t really recognise any of them on my first watch). The depth is apparent and certainly adds to the film.
This film will likely transcend Michael Keaton from Batman and Jack Frost to (hopefully) an Oscar winning actor. His character is so layered and believable. Saying this makes it seem like only Keaton’s performance is worth talking about. Literally everyone in this film is outstanding and all their characters are memorable.
The soundtrack is incredibly well used. It is pretty much entirely percussion. It is used to emphasise the frantic nature of the character at the moment when the drummer goes absolutely ham on his kit. I’d rather not spoil the moments in which they are used so I’ll just stop.
I don’t find anything particularly wrong with the movie but there is something about it that stops me from giving it a ten out of ten. It is a fantastic film but I can’t say I understand all the decisions in the film. There is a scene where two of the characters just start doing something that is a spoiler. I won’t tell you what they did but it seemed out of place. There where more than one moments like this which rather hinders my verdict. It is still easily the best film of 2015 so far.
Birdman receives a: 9/10
Please feel free to leave a comment on either the movie or the review. Say if you liked or disliked the movie. I'm interested to find out what you think!
