Birdman **** (2014, Michael Keaton, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts) – Movie Review

Former Batman Michael Keaton bravely, boldly and extremely well plays Riggan Thomson, a well-known actor who once played an iconic movie superhero called The Birdman. Now washed-up after turning down a fourth instalment of the Birdman franchise, Riggan faces the challenges of trying to overcome his ego and family trouble as he mounts, directs and stars in a Broadway play called What We Talk About When We Talk About Love in a desperate bid to reclaim his past movie glory.

Naturally, the path to redemption doesn’t go smoothly and the events leading up to the Saturday night premiere are one disaster after another, culminating in the lead actor being injured while on stage.

Co-writer/ director Alejandro González Iñárritu’s movie is highly imaginative and interesting, and it comes garlanded with praise and award nominations. But, even admiring it as I did, it left me quite cold. There’s nothing to believe in, no warmth, no reality, no actual showbiz smell or flavour, no real passion, it’s just an exercise in style and show-off flair. As such, it’s very clever indeed.

I know it’s about a Broadway show, and it’s all show, I get it. Just think of this – a Broadway show star locked out of his own theatre while the show is on and wandering semi-naked among the 42nd Street crowds. No, I don’t think so. 

This movie seems to have everything I like going for it (apart from Zach Galifianakis), and yet I didn’t take to it. It’s odd that, really. I really like Michael Keaton, always have done, and hope it brings about the career renaissance he deserves.

And I have to admit, albeit reluctantly, that Zach Galifianakis is less annoying than usual in a serious role as Keaton’s show partner. But Edward Norton, another actor I really admire, seems far too desperate to please and misses the mark as the show’s deranged replacement actor.

And the always likeable Emma Stone seems used as just a sentimental side issue as the hero’s equally washed up daughter. And I didn’t believe a word of Lindsay Duncan‘s role as the evil, show-destroying, career-destroying New York Times theatre critic Tabitha. Critics can certainly be evil, but they don’t operate like this at all.

Give me The Producers any day for laughs and showbiz truths. Birdman is amusingly satirical but I don’t think it’s smart enough.

It is nominated for nine Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Keaton), Best Supporting Actor (Norton) and Best Supporting Actress (Stone), seven Golden Globes, four Screen Actors Guild awards and seven London Critics Circle Film Awards. It won two Golden Globes, for Keaton as Best Actor Musical or Comedy and Best Screenplay (Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Armando Bo).

Michael Keaton didn’t win his Oscar for Birdman, though he is by far the best thing about the movie. It won four Oscars for Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Achievement in Directing, Best Original Screenplay and Best Achievement in Cinematography.

Naomi Watts, Andrea Riseborough, Jeremy Shamos and Damian Young co-star.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Movie Review

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