Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance) (2014) Fox Searchlight Pictures 📢 Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu. 💰 Producers: Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher, Arnon Milchan, James W. Skotchdopole. 👫 Cast: Michael Keaton, Zach Galifianakis. Edward Norton, Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts. 🏆 Awards ceremony: -87th Academy Awards: February 22, 2015. Dolby Theatre, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. 🎭 Other films nominated for Best Picture this year: -American Sniper. -Boyhood. -The Grand Budapest Hotel. -The Imitation Game. -Selma. -The Theory Of Everything. -Whiplash. 📕 Plot summary: Riggan Thomson (MICHAEL KEATON) is a fading movie star, who was famous for playing the role of 'Birdman' in previous films but now whose light has faded in recent years and is now resorting to working in a Broadway theatre in front of a live audience. He hires a very self-confident method actor Mike Shiner (EDWARD NORTON) to play a crucial part in the play he has written after a cast member has an accident and has to drop out, but Riggan and Mike end up having some serious issues with one another. Riggan's daughter (EMMA STONE) is on hand as her father's assistant but she has a crush on Riggan's co-star Mike. All the while, voices in Riggan's head (that of the character BIRDMAN) keeps telling him to recreate the film role that made him famous to begin with. And it seems that Riggan has the ability to use the Force too! 💥 Standout scene(s): -The 'standout' scene(s) in this movie are the incredibly long, unedited sequences where everything is done in one take. So unique! -As for my favourite scene it is when Laura (ANDREA ROSEBOROUGH) and Lesley (NAOMI WATTS) engage in their unplanned girl-on-girl kiss in Lesley's dressing room before Mike (EDWARD NORTON) walks in and disturbs them. -Michael Keaton walking through Times Square at night in his underpants. 🔑 Facts: -The 87th Academy Awards. -Nominated for 9 Academy Awards, it won 4: Best Picture, Director, Original screenplay, Cinematography. 🙂 Personal opinion: What an interesting movie this was! Beginning with the opening scene where we see Michael Keaton levitating, followed by a full 30 minutes of what is seemingly a one-take shot. Just incredible directing and interaction from all those involved in the continuity of the scene(s). The complexity and timing is mind-blowing and something I have not seen the likes of before (albeit Hitchcock's experiment with ROPE in 1948 but on a much smaller scale). As the scene went on longer and longer I became so engrossed in being mesmerized by the sheer brilliance of it that I had little clue about the plot! The story was a bit thin to be fair. And even thinner after about 90 minutes when all of a sudden Michael Keaton starts flying around above the streets of New York City. It's easy to make the observation here for the fact Keaton twice played Batman in two movies between 1989-1992. Emma Stone has the type of face where it's just two enormous eyes and a large mouth mounted on a small face. Was kind of hard not to notice. The directing was outrageously phenomenal and really sucks your attention in to the point where it becomes a little too distracting but what a great experience to behold for the viewer. Oh, and we get to see the two sacks of potatoes that pass for Edward Norton's bare arse too. Did it deserve the Oscar? ✅YES. A really noteworthy movie for its innovative style of directing. I'm sure this type of experimental style of movie making has been done before, but most likely not on this scale, and definitely not before in a Best Picture winner. Wow. 7/10

Review date: 18 July 2025