Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

5 stars out of 5

You would need to be living in a cave to avoid the outpouring of paid and free media supporting Birdman, which features Michael Keaton and Edward Norton. There are other actors; Zach Galifianakis, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts and Andrea Riseborough. And, although there are three women among the leads, let me point out that the film does NOT pass the Bechdel test, which requires two women with speaking parts who talk to each other and discuss something other than men. Many commentators love to point out that a film about a guy who once played a superhero and is now trying to revive his career sounds suspiciously like Keaton. Well, Keaton himself says this character is the least like him of any he's played. And while it has been six years since Keaton had the lead in a movie, it was worth the wait. And anyway, that's not what the film is about. The film is about the nature of reality, of the meanings of success and failure, the psychology of actors and about putting a show on Broadway. It is amazing on every one of these vectors. Director Alejandro González Iñárritu wrote and directed, with help in the writing room from Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo. As I understand magical realism it is the insertion of some fantastical elements in an otherwise naturalistic narrative. If that is the case, this film involves a fair amount of magical realism.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the technical trick; the film is made to look as though it was shot in a single, continuous take. If you, like me, love Alfred Hitchcock's Rope (1948), which did the same thing, you'll both appreciate it and be able to spot the moments when the cuts take place--although a few times, they did fool me. Try not to let the trickery distract you from the epochal performances of Keaton and Norton.

Brilliant, beautiful, thrilling, funny, dramatic and fast-paced. Also, it will easily stand up to more than one viewing, which is my definition of art. It is a little hard to see at the moment (although not, probably, for my readers, who tend to be in towns with Art House cinemas), but it is worth the effort.