Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
Stars: Michael Keaton, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton
Runtime: 119 minutes
Synopsis: A washed-up superhero actor attempts to revive his fading career by writing, directing, and starring in a Broadway production.
Performances: 5/5
Screenplay: 5/5
Editing: 5/5
Cinematography: 5/5
Score/Soundtrack: 5/5
Verdict: Perfect is not a word I regularly use to describe movies. However, an exception has to be made for "Birdman" since using any other adjective wouldn't do it justice.
Alejandro G. Iñárritu is undoubtedly one of the most ambitious directors working today (and one of my favorites), and that movie is here to prove that. Only a handful of filmmakers have the ability to pull off something as demanding as "Birdman", and Iñárritu may be the most qualified between that small lot. In it, the Oscar winner blurs the line between fiction and reality by casting actors with histories similar to their respective characters and getting the best performance they could give out of them. Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone and the rest of the cast all give the best performances of their careers (or at least one of their bests), which is rendered even more impressive due to the fact that the film is shot in a way that make it seem like one long continuous shot that lasts for two straight hours. To achieve that, cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki outdid himself to make the camera a dynamic character in a narrative that focuses on commenting on a number of topics that range from film criticism to the state of art nowadays. Extremely long takes were glued together by unnoticeable editing to achieve that effect, and impressive doesn't even begin describing Lubezki's camera work.
"Birdman" is a masterclass in filmmaking, writing, acting, cinematography and editing. The amount of work to nail every little detail make the Best Picture winner an instant classic and one of my favorite movies of all time. I've seen it 4 or 5 times now and am already looking forward to watching it again to appreciate it even more.
Alejandro G. Iñárritu is undoubtedly one of the most ambitious directors working today (and one of my favorites), and that movie is here to prove that. Only a handful of filmmakers have the ability to pull off something as demanding as "Birdman", and Iñárritu may be the most qualified between that small lot. In it, the Oscar winner blurs the line between fiction and reality by casting actors with histories similar to their respective characters and getting the best performance they could give out of them. Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone and the rest of the cast all give the best performances of their careers (or at least one of their bests), which is rendered even more impressive due to the fact that the film is shot in a way that make it seem like one long continuous shot that lasts for two straight hours. To achieve that, cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki outdid himself to make the camera a dynamic character in a narrative that focuses on commenting on a number of topics that range from film criticism to the state of art nowadays. Extremely long takes were glued together by unnoticeable editing to achieve that effect, and impressive doesn't even begin describing Lubezki's camera work.
"Birdman" is a masterclass in filmmaking, writing, acting, cinematography and editing. The amount of work to nail every little detail make the Best Picture winner an instant classic and one of my favorite movies of all time. I've seen it 4 or 5 times now and am already looking forward to watching it again to appreciate it even more.
FINAL GRADE: 10/10
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