Birdman (2014)

[solaris]

Short review

 

- Technically great. In hindsight wish I'd seen it on a bigger screen.

- Performances all 100% brilliant

- Editing and one take schtick v impressive. Well done.

- Thematically messy and self indulgent. Kept comparing it back to Black Swan which made a similar point (I think - if there was a point to be made here it wasn't unpacked very well) about artistic obsession and it's consequences with much less baggage.

- The film was just so enamoured of itself that I wanted to punch it in the face.

- The last scene in the hospital semi redeemed the film.

 

So yeah... a misfire for me. Don't get me wrong, I love surrealist psycho dramas as much as the next man, and I don't hate Innaritu as much everyone here seems to. 21 Grams and Babel were both great. But this just doesn't work... or rather, it's just irritates me - every frame screams 'LOOK AT ME LOOK AT THE ART'. 

[Chriss]

But this just doesn't work... or rather, it's just irritates me - every frame screams 'LOOK AT ME LOOK AT THE ART'. 

Pretty nicely put to words. I agree a lot with you on this.

[The Futurist]

Wanted to like it. Love the cast. Thought the acting was good/great.

But by the end I wanted to shoot that drummer. I've never liked drum solos. Like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. It....just....wouldn't....stop....

And the more I thought about it, the less I liked the characters....like real dislike. A bunch of whiny actors who constantly complain that no one gets them or loves them enough. Poor misunderstood "artists". No wonder the actors in Hollywood love it. It's a love letter to themselves. "See? This is how hard our lives are!" Even Stone's character (a non-actor) got in on the act, "Daddy wasn't there so he made up for it by trying to make me feel special!" Oh shut up....

The elitist reviewer put the icing on the cake with her pronouncements of what is "good art". They all deserve each other.

Typical first world problems movie.

Self absorbed. Pompous.

Cry me a river.

Mind you, I still haven t seen the film but each trailer and clip I saw, I wanted to say to each character : would you stop shouting at me and shut the fuck up a little bit.

Thx.

Edited March 8, 2015 by A Grey Future

[Dark Jedi Master 007]

Mind you, I still haven t seen the film but

but NOTHING. Watch the film first.

[bartonfink]

Earnest theme which is portrayed by masterful craftsmanship and surrealistic grammar makes us experience vividly clownishness, madness, chaos and sorrow of the art world. Some ambitious artists have tried to make their own version of 8½. While it seems utter self-soothe of "piteous" artists in the today's "sickening" entertainment, but I was definitely impressed by this version. 

[luna]

if this had more birdman suicide hallucination and less heart-to-heart talk or hollywood insider snideness, it could have been really fun.

 

5.4/10

[Lordmandeep]

Films like this make me not care for the Academy opinion anymore. 

[Blankments]

This is going to be the rare time I change my vote. I just rewatched it on DVD and wow... I can't believe I missed how spectacularly shitty the script is. It's literally exposition after exposition, with the occasional funny line. I think I might've blinded by my love of theater the first time. Keaton and Norton are still excellent, but again, I don't know why Norton isn't in the third act of the film. The cinematography and score don't make up for the glaring flaws this has in the directorial and writing department. C-

[The Futurist]

Also, the fish eyed close ups were quite bad and unflattering for the actors.

And some of the dialogs were cringe worthy, if you thought Nolan lines were too on the nose to expose the themes of the movie, Birdman does it even worse and in spades since ALL the characters spend all their time to ponder and mope about their poor wounded little egos.

 

Poor little things.

 

Emma Stone deserves better than this.

 

Keaton was alright I guess but Norton was amazing, best part of the film.

 

The critic character ? LOL

 

Does Inaritu have a corridor fetish ? Because well, that s a LOT of corridors.

 

The only word that sums up this movie for me is : EGO.

 

And I actually like Inaritu s heavy dramas like 21 Grams and Babel.

 

Even Chivo was a bit disappointing in this.

 

MVP of the movie by far : Antonio Sanchez but that s no surprise, he s an amazing drummer, one of the best in the latin jazz game.

Edited May 24, 2015 by The Futurist

[John Rambo]

Decent Stuff from Inarittu. Keatons performance was fab....Amazing actor

somehow i felt Norton did more of overacting!!!

B-