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| Birdman, poster. Copyright ©2014 Fox |
The existentialist, hypnotic, dark comedy, masterfully directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu (“Amores Perros,” “Babel”) stands apart from his recurrent topics: violence, emptiness, immigration, human exploitation, but death. Death is obsessively present in every work done by Iñárritu.
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| Alejandro G. Iñárritu. Photo by José A. Hermosillo. Copyright ©2014 Festival in LA |
Divided into three acts, like a theater play, “Birdman” tells the story of a lonely falling star who, years earlier, after playing an iconic superhero, made the wrong decisions in Hollywood. Now, the only way to stage his comeback is to produce, direct, and perform his play on Broadway: “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love.”
The actor’s fading fame, divorce, age, his daughter’s rehab, his financial situation, and the lies of other actors left him struggling to survive.
Broadway is a jungle where everyone devours each other - actors, agents, lawyers, family, the public, and critics (remember the critics).
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| Copyright © 2014 Fox |
From the beginning, his “larger-than-life” alter ego plays “Funny Games” with him, making him behave in ways that are out of the ordinary and so crazy that people in the audience laugh: “You are Birdman; you are a God.”
To achieve his glorious return to the stage, the starving actor Reagan Thomson, played by Michael Keaton (“Batman,” “Speechless”), must be “nice” to everyone, including himself. Life will throw him some pretty rough situations.
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| Copyright ©2014 Fox |
Antonio Sanchez’s strident drum score is jazzy, rhythmic, and sometimes a “wild mambo.” Toward the end, the drums become dissonant and chaotic, driving the story to total madness and culminating in an unexpected resolution.
This movie seems to be shot in three days, but its chronicle of the shooting is far more complicated than that. It requires planning, building, lighting, choreography, and many rehearsals to achieve perfect timing, so everything happens at the precise moment.
Directors, actors, cameramen, editors, and the sound department must hit their marks to make the story flawless. Their movements must flow seamlessly, like the choreography of “The Swan Lake.”
Let’s not forget the special effects, which come out of nowhere and are unique.
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| Birdman mural at the Arclight in Hollywood. Photo by José A. Hermosillo. Copyright ©2014 FestivalinLA |
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| Copyright © 2014 Fox |
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| Copyright © 2014 Fox |
Javier Bardem, working with Iñárritu, got an Oscar nomination in 2010 for “Biutiful,” and now Keaton will most likely get an Oscar nomination for his magnificent performance in “Birdman.” He is the front-runner to win gold.
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| Copyright ©2014 Festival in LA |
Zach Galifianakis’ performance is the best of his career. Emma Stone is superb and represents a new generation of Hollywood’s great young actors. Everyone is just fantastic.
“Birdman, or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” deserves multiple nominations and awards, a simple story in a complex movie that aspires to perfection.
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| Copyright © 2014 Birdman Facebook Page. |
Back in October: This year the Oscar© has “Wings.” “The Great Ziegfeld” is back. “Birdman” is “The Artist” of the season and the “Midnight Cowboy” of the millennium.
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