Birdman or (The Unexpected Vitrue of Ignorance) was the 2014 Academy Award Winner for Best Picture of the Year. In fact, it was nominated for 9 awards and won 3. Michael Keaton, Edward Norton and Emma Stone were all nominated for their performances. Unfortunately, I was not able to see this one in the theatres before the Oscars; however, based on the movies I saw and the previews of the nominees, this was my pick for Best Picture, so I have high hopes.
Keaton plays the title role of Riggan Thomsan who was made famous 20 years ago for his portrayal of a comic book superhero Birdman. After making three movies with the character, Thomsan only became known as Birdman and it took over his life. In a post-mid-life crisis, Thomsan attempts to establish himself as a true artist and separate himself from the Birdman character by writing, directing and starring in a Broadway show that he co-produced with his best friend Jake (Zach Galifianakis). Thomsan stakes his reputation and his money in the project and will do anything to make sure it goes well. And it goes anything but well.
The preview shows Thomsan battling the Birdman persona both internally and externally. He seems to be haunted by an inner demon that won't let it go; and, try as he might to ignore the voice inside, he has every critic, friend, family member and fan doubting him and keeping the comic book character alive. It looks sad, funny, tragic, hilarious, deep, and original. Some of the special effects in the preview that show us we will get to see acted out in real life what is going on in Thomsan's unstable head look to be spectacular and way over the top in a very good way. Each actor looks to give a performance well-deserving of their Oscar nominations. I am truly excited to see Birdman. I expect it will make it to my home collection and I'm giving this a 4.0 star prediction, maybe even 4.5. Am I right? We shall see.
