By Darlene Donloe
Birdman is one of the best films of the year!!!
It just doesn’t get any better than this!
Not only is the story intriguing and the acting spectacular, Director Alejandro G. Inarritu's
(Babel, 21 Grams) direction is frickin incredible. Almost the entire movie
looks as if it was filmed using one continuous tracking shot. What? Yep!
The way it’s shot, coupled
with the acting of Michael Keaton and the strong performances from the rest of
the ensemble cast, makes this film a must-see and a true contender for one of
Hollywood’s biggest awards. Uh, huh, I mean the Oscar®.
Michael Keaton
Keaton is mesmerizing in a role that is memorable for many
reasons. Before this film Keaton
was remembered for Beetlejuice, Mr. Mom and, of course, Batman. His role as Riggan Thomson in this film
is perched right alongside those three roles.
Emma Stone gives a great turn as Riggan’s daughter, Sam. Edward Norton
is equally impressive as the self-absorbed actor Mike Shiner. Naomi Watts
lights up the screen as an actress trying to enjoy her first time on Broadway.
Zach Galifianakis is spectacular
as Riggan’s manager/partner Brandon Vander Hey.
(l-r) Michael Keaton, Naomi Watts and Zach Galifianakis
What a refreshing
presentation. This film is a black comedy that tells the story of an actor -
famous for portraying an iconic superhero-as he struggles to mount a Broadway
play. In the days leading up to opening night, he battles his ego and attempts
to recover his family, his career, and himself, which is no small feat.
Keaton plays the washed-up
former action movie star who, while attempting his comeback must put up the
nonsense of a mercurial lead actor (Norton), an anxious business partner (Galifianakis)
and a daughter (Stone), who has just returned from rehab. With all of that to contend with,
he’s also haunted by the specter
of his most famous character who likes to say nasty things about what he thinks
of the actor’s life.
Keaton is brilliant!!!! He’s
on edge. He’s driven. He’s hopeful! He’s skeptical! He’s scared!
You can’t help but love this
quirky, inventive film. It’s firing on all cylinders. There isn’t a weak link
anywhere. It’s funny! It’s ambitious! But, most of all, it’s great fun!
Michael Keaton
Emma Stone
(l-r) Michael Keaton and Edward Norton
Michael Keaton, Zach
Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Emma Stone, Andrea Riseborough
and Naomi Watts
star.
Birdman (Fox
Searchlight) is Rated R (for language throughout, some sexual content and brief
violence). Running time: 1 hr. 59 min.
On the DONLOE SCALE: D
(don’t bother), O (oh, no), N (needs work), L (likable), O (oh, yeah) and E
(excellent), Birdman gets an E
(excellent).
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