'Birdman' soars to success

Amid fears of climate change and Ebola pandemics, it’s no wonder that so many recent films seem concerned with apocalypse and the end of man’s reign on Earth. Perhaps this explains why Alejandro González Iñárritu’s newest film “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” -- released Oct. 17 -- starts with a shot of a meteor hurtling through the atmosphere. The bulk of the film concerns much more self-reflective questions, however: How can we struggle with our own insignificance, and what do we leave behind when we’re gone?

“Birdman” tells the story of Riggan Thomas (Michael Keaton), a has-been celebrity actor known in his glory days for his role as “Birdman.” This premise is a little tongue-in-cheek because, of course, Keaton himself is a falling star once famous for his titular role in “Batman” (1989).

"Birdman" begins its narrative during the final weeks before Riggan opens his new Broadway play, an adaptation of Raymond Carver’s short story “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love”(1981). The show is Riggan’s final chance to regain artistic credibility, yet, somehow, he and his fellow cast members can’t seem to get through a performance without running into a catastrophe. After an accident hospitalizes one of the show’s leads, Riggan and his lawyer (Zach Galifianakis) scramble to hire Mike Shiner (Edward Norton), a pretentious method actor who tends to take things too far. Meanwhile, Riggan also struggles to reconnect with his world-weary, straight-out-of-rehab daughter, Sam (Emma Stone).

"Birdman" thrives as a film of opposites. Though dark and horribly ironic, the movie is also hilarious and, at times, even moving. The script is absolutely absurd, yet the characters themselves are familiar and somewhat predictable. The fact that these elements work together so well has much to do with the incredible talent on-screen. Keaton does a fabulous job portraying an egotistical, mediocre stage actor in one scene and a desperate, crazed man in the next. Norton and Stone also shine as supporting actors, bringing complexity and unexpected humanity to their otherwise abrasive characters.

Perhaps the most obviously innovative feature of "Birdman" is the camera work, led by cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki -- known for his work on “Gravity”(2013). The trick here is that the entire story seems to be filmed in one shot. Through the eye of the camera, the audience travels with the characters up and down tight backstage corridors -- sometimes taking the perspective of these characters, other times closing in on them. This technique lends the type of illusion of reality associated more with watching a play or documentary than a movie; in fact, the only moment that the camera assumes the regular cinematic perspective is when Riggan suddenly slips into a hallucinatory state. Combined with Antonio Sanchez’s pounding drum-based score, which maintains the rhythm of the film so nicely, the swirling, claustrophobic camera work keeps viewers alert right up until the credits roll.

It is an unfortunate fact that many films that utilize unconventional methods of production, attempting to appear supremely artistic, wind up losing themselves in their own technique. “Birdman,” on the other hand, remains hyper self-aware from start to finish. The clever casting of Keaton as Riggan is one example. The film is also full of pop culture references, especially about the current superhero blockbuster craze. On yet another level, the film is also conscious of show and movie business stereotypes, poking fun at critics, audiences and actors alike. “Why don’t I have any self respect?” cries Lesley (Naomi Watts), a first-time Broadway actress and Mike’s tolerant girlfriend. “You’re an actress,” her friend Laura (Andrea Riseborough) replies.

Yes, the film is as esoteric and “meta” as one might guess judging from the quote taped to Riggan’s mirror: “A thing is a thing, not what is said of that thing.” But its unconventional self-awareness is not just a gimmick, as some critics have complained. It’s central to Riggan’s struggle to be remembered as a real artist. And it reflects the complexity of the characters as human beings -- a complexity that we sometimes forget in real life when we, like bitter critic Tabitha (Lindsay Duncan), fail to give an individual the chance to prove himself.

Like Riggan, this movie deserves a chance, even if it's more of an artsy hipster flick than a superhero blockbuster. “Birdman” is bound to be one of the best films of the year, and it would be a shame to miss it.