Birdman (2014)

I finally got around to watching Birdman, and I can see what all the hype was about. For those that don’t know Birdman is nominated for 9 Academy Awards (which are tomorrow night by the way) and is widely considered to be one of the best movies from 2014.

Right away I was captivated by the films unique and beautiful cinematography. The entire film is shot to look like one long continuous scene (something rarely if ever seen in movies). This is impressive for many reasons, I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to shoot some of the longer scenes. One mistake by a single actor or extra and they would have had to re-shoot entire segments of the film. My respects to Alejandro G. Iñárritu and everyone else involved in making the movie.

Cinematography aside, Birdman is an excellent movie for many other reasons. The film deals with a lot of themes including acting (or the process of acting), relationships, the theater, and family. In a way the movie is about a play so it can get a little Meta watching an actor act in a play during a movie. The discussions between some of the characters on acting can be a little dense, but I find that it’s an interesting look inside an actor’s mind. In the film you see that different actors have different methods and motivations for doing what they do.

The cast was fantastic, Emma Stone, Ed Norton and Michael Keaton all delivered excellent performances. I can see why all three of them were nominated for Academy Awards, their nominations are well deserved to say the least. The supporting cast is great as well, with solid performances by Zach Galifianakis, Naomi Watts and Amy Ryan.

There were a few things I disliked about the movie, but honestly they were so small and trivial that they’re not worth mentioning. Overall, Birdman is a fascinating, unique and expertly made film with unbelievable performances by a fantastic cast. If you haven’t seen it already I highly recommend it. 4.5/5