Everything Could Have Been Awesome: “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”

Ever wonder what it’s like to be Michael Keaton? Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s Best Picture winning film “Birdman” might give viewers an idea of how they’d expect it might feel.

Keaton’s tortured actor Riggan Thomson is an actor who once had major success starring in a blockbuster super hero franchise, called “Birdman.” But despite becoming a household name, he’d never been able to capture the same glory he did with that character. So, he’s attempting to make a a name for himself in a different avenue: starring and producing in a recreation of a Raymond Carver play on Broadway. Parallels to Keaton’s own career with his apex being the “Batman” movies can easily be made.

This is a look at the life of a man who has soared to heights most people could only dream of, but is desperate for one last shining moment. Despite his success, the audience quickly learns he’s been a bit of a failure offscreen. He was never really there for his daughter, Sam (Emma Stone), when she was growing up. He has been separated from his wife, Sylvia (Amy Ryan), for quite some time, and though they are on good terms now, their split was a nasty one, and the fallout was entirely Riggan’s fault. His relationship with his current girlfriend, Laura (Andrea Riseborough), seems to be fizzling, and excellent, but wildly unpredictable thespian, Mike (Edward Norton), is threatening to sink his play, but Riggan needs to keep him on, for his talent, and as a favor to his costar, Lesley (Naomi Watts), whom he adores.

The film was shot to appear to have been done in a single take, often shifting focus between characters as they pass each other in the hallway. It’s a creative and innovative technique that provides the feeling of watching a stage performance and a dreamy, floaty, claustrophobic feeling, as if the viewer is inside Riggan’s head.

As Riggan gets into a heated argument with a critic, whom he accuses of assigning labels to the plays she’s reviewing rather than giving an honest, descriptive review, “Birdman” defies categorization. It’s a dramatic work, but is also an existential comedy, and, depending on one’s point of view, could be allegory or sci-fi, depending on whether the voice that follows Riggan is real or in his head. The different elements fit together seamlessly, and it’s a marvel to watch. Essentially, it is the deconstruction of an aging asshole who is desperate to make something to be remembered by in a late stage in his life to make up for his own personal failings. But it also examines the fleeting nature of celebrity and people’s desire to be known, who then have trouble letting it go.

The struggles unfolding in Riggan’s and the other characters’ personal lives mirror the difficulties they encounter onstage, as the play nears opening night. As Mike says, the only time anything is real for him is onstage. Everything else he does is a performance. With the explosive ending of the play, one wonders whether Riggan was planning his own demise from the beginning, or if it was a spur of the moment decision brought on after a night of heavy drinking. 

Riggan has always been a bit of a tortured soul for some unknown reason, as he’s always been starving for attention. As his wife says, he never understood the difference between admiration and love. He’s a selfish man who is only focused on his own success. Being a not quite washed up actor (he could do another Birdman sequel anytime he pleases, as the demand is still there) who wants to be seen as a “serious” artist, whatever that means, puts Riggan in a rather unique situation. But his internal struggles are ones that anyone might face, especially later in life, so it’s still a very relatable yarn.

Norton, Ryan, Stone, and Watts, along with Zach Galifianakis make up an excellent supporting cast, as viewers would expect, but it is Keaton in his starring role that makes you wonder where he’s been all this time. Perhaps he’s so impressive here because he’s essentially playing an exaggerated version of himself. But he was a good comedic actor early in his career, and it’s a wonder that he never became the bigger star that he seemed destined to be back then. He’s had a few great supporting roles, but nothing on the level of what he accomplishes here. Maybe it was just the right script and the right director. As with Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler,” which shares many similarities with “Birdman,” it’s hard to imagine anyone besides Keaton in this role. And unless he gets another opportunity of this magnitude, it will be disappointing that Eddie Redmayne took home the Best Actor award instead of Keaton, as the Academy Awards are so political anyway, and Redmayne is a talented enough actor who will probably have many more noteworthy performances in the future to be recognized for.

One possible theory for what this movie is, is that the entire thing is playing out in Riggan’s head. All the characters represent different aspects of his own personality, and it would explain how he’s able to move objects with his mind and fly and things like that. But it’s just as easy to say he’s only imagining those things he appears to be doing. This is one of those movies that defies explanation, and it’s fun to talk about what everything might represent because it’s never made totally clear what is happening. It has just enough focus to tell an interesting story but leaving much up to the viewer to decipher.

Maybe that bird guy is really there, or maybe everything is inside Riggan’s head. Who knows?

It can’t be said enough that 2014 was a great year for movies, and “Birdman” is unquestionably one of the best films of the year. It will make a great representative as future generations look back at last year. It is well deserving of its Oscar, and it’s always great to see a person of color be recognized for his work. It’s even rarer that a person from a country whose primary language is something other than English to be recognized as a director, and Inarritu is very deserving here. Though several actors were recognized with nominations, it would have been great to have seen Keaton take home an award. Here’s hoping this will give his career the rejuvenation it deserves. And who knows, maybe he could do another stint as the Dark Knight, donning the bat costume once more. Who wouldn’t want to see that?