Saturday, November 1, 2014

Birdman Review

On A Wing And A Prayer
Films have the power to say things of incomparable substance. Some of the greatest filmmakers of all-time have used the medium of cinema to bring to life the kind of movies that help shape a generation via their underlying subtext and themes. It's neat to see any person undertake the mission of making a film that says something truly important, and it's pretty obvious that Birdman director (who also serves as one of the features four writers) Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu truly believes with all of his heart and soul that he's saying something meaningful within each and every frame of Birdman. I'm sure it's meaningful to him, and more power to him if it is. But for me, the message of the motion picture is like the movie itself; cluttered and underwhelming.

If the various themes presented in Birdman are any indication, Inarritu and the other writers of the motion picture (Nicolas Giacabone, Alexand Dinelaris and Armando Bo) have a lot on their mind on a wide variety of topics, but frankly, none of the four seem to have a grasp on making many of their views on those topics cohesive. To boot, their script also fails to find time to develop characters or make the various plot points of the film all that compelling. Instead, the screenplay is much too busy talking about the dangers of virality, film criticism, franchises and anything else it can think of. There's some actually potent thoughts in there (despite my occupation as such, Michael Keatons angry rant at a theater critic actually makes some thought-provoking points about the art of criticism), which makes it even more underwhelming that the rest of the films ideas feel more like some kind of ramble courtesy of an old man who barks for kids to get off his lawn. It all gets so tiring after a while, to the point where the film occasionally has the eloquence of a YouTube commentor in delivering its thoughts on the world at large.

Another problem with the script is in how it handles it's supporting cast, and that's a real shame considering how many talented people are in here. Edward Norton pretty much becomes the Road Runner to Michael Keatons Wile E. Coyote for much of the film, but for the last third or so of the feature, Norton inexplicably vanishes. Having spent so much time with him, it feels bizarre not to get any conclusion from his character arc or at least have him factor into the stories conclusion in some way. I also wish a character played by the outstanding Naomi Watts, named Lesley, got more screentime, as a scene where she breaks down about how long she's wanted to be a Broadway actress shows the sort of vulnerability and humanity the film could use more of. Unfortunately, she gets almost nothing else to do after that, which feels like a tremendous waste of talent to me. At least Emma Stone is utilized decently, though even her character can get repetitive after a while. 

Thankfully, the stories lead, Riggan (who played the films fictional titular superhero), is played terrifically by Michael Keaton. This films rave reviews and awards buzz will surely give Keaton a much deserved comeback (that I'll always say shoulda come with his scene-stealing turns in the summer 2010 comedies Toy Story 3 and The Other Guys, but alas, it twas not to be), and for good reason. Keaton lends real pathos to the character on an emotional and physical level, which really sends home how important the play Riggans is in charge of means to him. This stage production is all his character has left after his celebrity days have vanished, and Keaton makes every second of remorseful determination count.

Much of the feature is set in the location where that aforementioned play is being performed, and having spent three years in High School theater, the film really does a great job at sending home the tight spaces and environments that are hallmarks of theatrical productions. The various areas the movie travels to in this domain feel lived in and compelling, no doubt an achievement from the films cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki who makes certain moments of the feature a visual extravaganza. He and director Inarritu make a great team in that regard, and ensure the film is a flawless hit on an eye candy level, but unfortunately, that achievement can't make the numerous flaws of Birdman just disappear without a trace. This movies bogged down by a lackluster and sloppy script that keeps the rest of the film (save for Keatons performance and the cinematography) from truly soaring.

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