Batman could win an Oscar, not Affleck, he's already won two - we're talking about the original, and some say the best, Batman: Michael Keaton.
The Golden Globe winning film Birdman has finally hit our shores and follows a washed up actor who once played a superhero named, funnily enough, Birdman. In an effort to revitalise his career and move on from being "the answer in a Trivial Pursuit question" he develops a stage play that he will write, direct and star in. Amidst all the pressure of the developing production Keaton's character battles depression and a grasp on reality.
Let's get this out of the way first: the unique selling point for this film is the fact that it is presented as one continuous shot. This has been done, almost seamlessly, thanks to motion controlled cameras, clever editing and detailed colour-correction to help match shots. Amazingly though, the film is not shot in real-time but rather uses the camera movements to create transitions between days, locations and time in an almost effortless fashion. It's great if you just go with it and don't spend all your time looking for where they cut the take.
Now Michael Keaton's casting in this film falls very much in line with Mickey Rourke playing Randy 'The Ram' Robinson in 'The Wrestler' or Ben Affleck playing Nick Dunn in 'Gone Girl'; the line between character and actor begins to blur. The similarities to Keaton's career, as an aging actor who once played an iconic superhero, make him the perfect choice for this 'art imitating life/imitating art' role and much like Rourke and Affleck, he revels in the character.
The performances are all stellar with some real career benders for some: Zach Galafanakis drops the bearded weirdo routine for an authentically stressed best friend/agent/lawyer, whilst Emma Stone brings a fragility to a role where she'd normally play the sassy confident female lead and Ed Norton brings a volatile, combustible performance to his ego-driven arty asshole actor role. But the real stars are Michael Keaton and Naomi Watts who bring the hurt and the pain of being actors of a certain age in an actors world.
Those expecting a comedy be warned, this is a dark tale with only elements of black comedy. It shows the darker cynical side of the acting and entertainment world. There's self-loathing, anxiety, delusions of grandeur, antagonism, sexual inadequacies and ego, lots and lots of ego.
Ultimately this film is a comment on theater and film and the art of acting. For the most part it covers all aspects of this world and raises some good questions, and points out some important factors about acting. Granted those points probably make you want to have a shower afterwards but that’s just part of the journey in this film.
Birdman gets Four and a half out Five fingers crossed for Batman’s Oscar acceptance speech.
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