2011 saw The Artist, 2012 Life Of Pi and 2013 had Gravity. All brilliant films, but if you wanted to pick it about, it's novelty gimmick would be the first thing to pick on.
This year, we already have Boyhood, the Richard Linklater coming-of-age drama made over 12 years. However, we seemed to have a second film involving something quite exceptional that we very rarely in film these days.
It has come from director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, known for his memorable features Amores Perros, 21 Grams, Babel and Biutiful. Usually, his films feature outstanding performances, interesting ideas and sometimes multiple and interwoven stories.
We got a lot of expected Inarritu similarities in his latest venture and with the welcomed addition of cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki who broke through with his contribution to making Gravity.
Starring Michael Keaton, it tells the story of a washed-up movie actor playing a superhero looking to find fame once again, but on the stage. For many, this will sound like a Keaton biopic after his performance as Batman and has not done many notable performances since then.
The opening half felt un-nerving at first as I could tell it was something that I have not experienced before. I was adoring the camera work as it filmed to be seen as one long continuous take.
One point suddenly got me loving the characters and performances. For the rest of the film, I was in awe and just wanted this to keep going and never-end. But by the end of it, I felt the need to just go "wow" and "can I see more movies like that please?".
Birdman is definitely enjoyable brilliantly entertaining in such a way I have never experienced. For a film full of quite literally everything, it is hard to know where to begin.
I think the part that I would give the highest praise was would be the performances, and more importantly the high amount of outstanding performances.
Let's start with Michael Keaton. The heavily under-used Keaton is back with a bang playing a character very similar to his entire filmography. For me, this was a role made for Keaton, especially the situation he is in. He shows us a character that is trying to still be known as an actor rather then a celebrity. Keaton executes it so well and it will surely give an Oscar nomination. I personally would not give the award to him, but it sounds like he may do so which I am happy with.
The actor that definitely steals the show is Edward Norton who seems to have made a pastiche of his own personal characteristics. This performance really made me give a lot of respect for Norton. He is an absolute scene-stealer and I really noticed the enhancement of the character even without speaking which really shows the impact he has in this feature.
Other notable performances go to Emma Stone who steals many scenes and gives us the performance we have been wanting from her, Naomi Watts who brings a lot of laughs to the screen, Zach Galifianakis who does something completely unexpected and Andrea Riseborough who bounces the leads nicely.
This next paragraph belongs to cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, who is certainly trumping Wally Pfister in my eyes as the best in the business. Pfister can make landscapes look wonderful, whereas Lubezki gives a new meaning to the word 'ambitious'. He has really made you feel part of his movies. He is surely going to be collecting consecutive Oscars.
A few unsung heroes are Antonio Sanchez who did the score. It is certainly unique, but it really drives and relates to the film so well. Another is the editing team. For a film looks as if it is done in one take, you will find it difficult to find the edits. If you know films works, you could see where they cleverly make the edit.
If I had to be picky, the only I would be a bit sniffy about a few moments towards the end that I felt could be misinterpreted. For me, I feel I have my own view of it. Those moments did not wow me, but I felt it did not spoil the film enough to be considered as a negative thankfully.
Birdman is definitely an experience you will not forget from the films in 2014. From its staggering performances to its pristine writing, carefully and perfectly constructed direction by Inarritu and the immersive and captivating cinematography. It has a wonderful mix of drama, comedy and a touching human story. This is certainly not one to be missed before awards season.
Rating: 8/10
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