I've mentioned before how my favorite Batman movie is 1989's Batman starring Michael Keaton. With all due respect to Christian Bale, Christopher Nolan, and the late Heath Ledger, I have a special place in my heart for the original film. (No small honor considering my vocal distaste for most Tim Burton movies.) Michael Keaton's established and determined Bruce Wayne was full of charm and wisdom. Not as fleshed out as other iterations, but Keaton was an excellent Batman. When we talk Birman, we can consider where Keaton has been in his career. But we can also forget about about his Caped Crusader past and watch the magnetism of his performance take over as though the concept of playing a Superhero was brand new to him. Whichever way you look at the film, Michael Keaton is back. And I want to know where he has been.
Riggan Thomson is a washed up actor famous for playing the superhero Birdman in three films back in the 1990's. Now he is attempting to mount a comeback by directing and starring in a Raymond Carver play. In order to finance the play, he takes out a mortgage on his home, and is left flat broke. With everything on the line, and an controllable supporting actor, Riggan is losing it.
I am a fanatic when it comes to comic book movies, so seeing a satire of the world behind it was spellbinding. There is so much debate to the quality or saturation of these films in today's box office market, this was a brilliant commentary. Riggan Thomson is established as wanting more, wanting to be relevant, wanting to matter. It's though provoking to wonder if in 30 years we will feel the same way about Christian Bale or Robert Downey Jr. Can someone be an artist in a mask and cape, and can they be something more when they take it off? I choose to think so. And with that, I follow along Riggan and his journey by always rooting for him. There is something enchanting to see with this tale and the risks taken, and I loved every moment.
The entire movie is filmed and edited to look as though it was one long continuous shot. I have heard that Hitchcock did this once, but I've never seen anything like it until now. The movement of the camera through the scenery and the action makes you feel as though you are actually in the film. There is a hyper reality that is achieved that totally immerses the viewer. There is no way this could have been as simple process to achieve, and for the painstaking efforts they took to make it so, the editors and cinematographers deserve enormous amounts of praise.
This movie belongs to Michael Keaton. This is fact. The raw inner commentary, the ticks, the facial expressions, the aggression. Michael Keaton doesn't lose himself, he is Riggan Thomson. I am in no way saying that Keaton was ever washed up. I am saying that he blurs the lines between film and life. This is Keaton at the top of his game. Keaton's Bruce Wayne past doesn't really leave the mindsight, but it doesn't overpower the majesty of his work here. It may just be a bit of a bonus to create realism. But whatever it is, Michael Keaton is magic. The Oscar is Michael Keaton's to lose.
You can't count out the supporting cast however. Edward Norton has a reputation for perfectionism. That's a factor which makes his work a little more plausible too. His narcissistic work as Mike Shiner exudes Norton's perceived pretentiousness. He is not a good guy, but he's a joy to watch. You root against him when he tries to pull out the threads of Riggan's life. But that means Norton is doing his job right.
I have never taken Zach Galifianakis seriously, but i've never really had a reason to. In Birdman, he finally takes it easy. He doesn't need to be the center of attention. He's calm but concerned for his best friend, and it's a refreshing change of pace. He even gets to cut loose every now and then, but it's never out of tone.
The score is composed almost entirely from drums, and it adds to the power of the film. It's rhythm goes along with Riggan's mental state, and it's toe tappingly badass.
Right now, Birdman is my top film for 2014, and Michael Keaton is the one to beat for Best Actor. This movie was an absolute thrill, and one to watch over and over.
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