Birdman (2014)

My first proper introduction to this film was about 6 months ago, while scrolling through Netflix with my dad trying to find a film pass the time. In the blur of all the classic rom-coms, cheesy horror and Netflix originals we stumbled upon the film ‘Birdman’ in the ‘Hidden Gems’ category. The name ‘Hidden Gems’ and the thumbnail featuring lead actor Michael Keaton seemed like a funny contrast and immediately intrigued me as I’d only ever known him in blockbusters, and the idea that he would star in a kooky, indie film like this one was baffling. Of course I’d heard the name before. All I knew about it was:

1. It was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar.

2. It was a bit weird.

So I was of course interested, but not particularly desperate to experience it. It was only when my dad declared, “That’s supposed to be good, it’s all filmed in one shot” that my interest peaked. I have a strong appreciation for the art of cinematography and am always curious about new and experimental techniques like this one, so I had to see it immediately. Unfortunately my dad then spotted some old Western, said it was a classic and we watched that instead. But the point still stands.

I ended up actually watching Birdman a few days later on my own, and was immediately taken in by the plot. The film focusses around Riggan Thomson, (Michael Keaton): a washed up Hollywood star who rose to fame 20 years ago playing the superhero ‘Birdman’ in the movie franchise of the same name. We follow this Robert Downey Jr-esque star as he attempts to make his comeback on the Broadway stage, while trying to shake his Birdman persona that metaphorically, (and at points in the film, literally) haunts him. While also trying to handle his daughter who is fresh out of rehab, and a girlfriend who might be pregnant, he is constantly in competition with his co-star Mike Shiner (Edward Norton) who’s wild behaviour might end up being the downfall of the show.

The film opens on the night before the first preview, and within 5 minutes has already managed to confuse but intrigue the audience in a ‘This is so absurd I have to keep watching’ kind of way, starting with a shot of Riggan floating in the air in his underwear with a strange, deep voiced-narrator telling him that his dressing room, and I quote, ”smells like balls”. The first couple of scenes focus on the aftermath of an actor Riggan despised but was forced to work with being injured by a falling light, and the mess that is hiring a new actor, him turning out to be a horrible person but not being able to fire him as he brings in audiences. One of the major themes of the whole movie, in fact, seems to be the inner conflict of true, passionate art versus profit. Riggan appreciates art and desires to escape from this dried out, blockbuster role he once inhabited, despite being constantly told to go back for the money and fame. It’s an interesting commentary on Hollywood’s love of sequels and franchises, and how a lot of companies would rather invest in a repetitive blockbuster where profit is guaranteed than something actually good. There’s specific references to The Avengers franchise, (About Robert Downey Jr: “That clown doesn’t have half your talent and he’s making a fortune in that tin-man get up”.) and also some subtle references to Michael Keaton’s own Batman. This is thought-provoking and refreshing, especially as the three main stars, (Keaton, Norton and Emma Stone) have all been involved in big-budget superhero films themselves.

One of the most curious things about this film, and one of the reasons I enjoy it so much is the blur between reality and fantasy. Throughout we see Riggan seemingly using telekinesis and even flying at one point, but this is never explained. We don’t know whether this is really happening or if it’s all imaginary and Birdman is so inside his head that he’s becoming delusional. Of course, you’d think the latter would be the obvious answer, but Iñárritu does such a good job of manipulating the audience that we find ourselves questioning our own judgement. The camerawork is amazing; the ability to make a feature film look like one continuous shot without it getting boring is a big accomplishment, and adds to the dream-like tone while also allowing us to connect with Riggan, and feel like we’re experiencing life with him.

A scene I adore is the fight between Riggan and Mike; Riggan is furious after finding that Mike sold a story to The Times that was originally his, causing him to make the front page. I would consider this movie a drama, but believe me when I say that this scene is bittersweet and absolutely hilarious. We feel sympathy for Riggan and hate Mike for everything he’s done to ruin Riggan’s shot at stardom, so seeing him get repeatedly swatted with a newspaper, punched and wrestled to the ground in his underwear feels oh so good. There’s no particularly fancy cinematic techniques here, (it’s probably the most ‘normal’ part of the film), but the situation is so absurd that we can’t help but find it amusing. From Riggan manipulating Mike to feel sorry for him with a fake story about his ‘abusive dad’ to them wrestling like children while members of the crew watch on, this scene just might be my favourite in the whole film.

With a minimalistic percussion score throughout the entire film, making scenes which in any other movie should be dramatic feel upbeat and spontaneous, outstanding acting from all the leads, (one of the standouts being Zach Galifianakis, who took on a less comedic role but did it extremely well), and an ambiguous ending that has you thinking for days, Birdman is one of the greatest films of the 21st century, and I urge everyone to watch it.