Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
2014
****½
Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Cast: Michael Keaton, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts
Riggan Thomson, who used to star in a popular Hollywood superhero franchise, attempts a comeback on Broadway. While the opening night of his stage play draws closer, his mental state becomes increasingly fragile. Alejandro G. Iñárritu's brilliant dark comedy takes a swipe at Hollywood, fame, narcissism, pretentiousness, social media, and critics, among other things, and Michael Keaton gives a strikingly intense performance in the lead. Iñárritu and his cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki have shot the entire film as if it was one continuous take. It is an incredible technical achievement, but as a storytelling device it can be exhausting. An Academy Award winner for best picture, director, original screenplay, and cinematography.
