Birdman (2014) Review: Ego, Filmed in One Breath

Is Birdman worth watching?

Yes. Birdman is a dazzling, darkly funny backstage comedy about vanity and relevance, powered by Michael Keaton’s best performance and some of the most audacious camerawork in modern American film. Alejandro G. Iñárritu stages it as if it were one unbroken shot, and the effect is exhilarating, pulling the audience through the corridors of a Broadway theatre and into the head of a man coming apart. The reservation is that the film’s showiness can feel as self-absorbed as its hero, and its jabs at critics and blockbusters are more glib than sharp.

What is Birdman about?

Birdman follows Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton), an actor who was once world-famous for playing a winged superhero called Birdman and has spent the years since slipping out of the spotlight. Determined to prove he is a serious artist, he has sunk his money and reputation into writing, directing and starring in a Broadway adaptation of a Raymond Carver story.

As opening night approaches, everything seems to conspire against him. His co-star is replaced by Mike Shiner (Edward Norton), a brilliant, volatile stage actor with no respect for boundaries; his daughter and assistant, Sam (Emma Stone), is fresh out of rehab and unimpressed; his lawyer and producer (Zach Galifianakis) is panicking about money; and a powerful theatre critic (Lindsay Duncan) is ready to destroy him. Worst of all, the gravelly voice of Birdman is still in his head.

Iñárritu directs an American production in English that runs 120 minutes. It won the Academy Award for Best Picture, along with Oscars for directing, screenplay and cinematography.

One long, breathless take

The film’s signature is its form. Emmanuel Lubezki’s camera prowls through dressing rooms, stairwells, the stage and the streets of Times Square, with the cuts hidden so the whole film feels like a single continuous shot. It is not just a stunt: the unbroken flow traps the audience inside Riggan’s escalating panic, with no relief and no chance to step back.

Antonio Sánchez’s jazz drum score is the perfect partner, a nervous, improvised pulse that sometimes appears on screen, blurring the line between what is real and what is in Riggan’s head. The film adds flashes of magic realism, including moments where Riggan seems to have powers, and leaves the audience unsure how much to believe.

Keaton, Norton and Stone at full tilt

Michael Keaton’s casting is a meta-joke, since he famously played Batman, but his performance is far richer than the gimmick. Riggan is needy, deluded, funny and desperately sad, and Keaton lets all of it show without ever asking for sympathy. It is a raw, exposed piece of acting.

Edward Norton is hilarious as the insufferable Mike, a caricature of method acting who is also unnervingly good at the job. Emma Stone brings a caustic energy to Sam, and her furious monologue about her father’s irrelevance is one of the film’s highlights. Naomi Watts, Andrea Riseborough and Amy Ryan all make strong impressions in smaller roles.

Where the brilliance turns self-regarding

For all its virtuosity, Birdman can be exhausting. The restless camera and relentless drums leave little room for stillness, and the film’s constant cleverness sometimes feels like it is performing for the audience in the same way Riggan does. Its satire of superhero culture and of critics is broad; the critic character in particular is a straw figure written to be hated. Viewers who find art about the anxieties of artists self-indulgent will find plenty here to confirm that view.

Who should watch Birdman?

It is for viewers who enjoy bold, formally ambitious filmmaking, theatre lovers, and anyone interested in satire about fame and ego. It suits fans of dark comedies that blur fantasy and reality. At two hours, it moves at a breathless pace. There is strong language, brief sexual content and some disturbing moments, so it is best for adults.

Good follow-ups:

• The Truman Show, another sharp satire about performance and identity with a surreal edge.
• La La Land, a more romantic take on show business and ambition, also starring Emma Stone.

The verdict

Birdman is a virtuoso piece of filmmaking, anchored by an extraordinary Michael Keaton and a superb ensemble, and it captures the vanity and terror of performance with wit and energy. Its self-regard and relentless style will not suit everyone, but it remains one of the most exhilarating Best Picture winners of its decade.

Rating: 4/5