Get ready for the META of all movies!
You're watching Beyond The Trailer's review of Birdman!
- Who is this guy? - He used to be Birdman.
I liked that poster...
- You wrote this adaptation? - I did, yeah.
And you're directing, and starring...? That's ambitious.
Are you afraid people will say you're doing this play to battle the impression
that you're a washed-up comic strip character?
Absolutely not! That's why, twenty years ago, I said no to Birdman 4 -
Birdman 4?! You do Birdman 4?!
Now you're about to destroy what's left of your career...
We should have done that reality show they offered us.
META. When something is consciously self-referential.
This is a term that has only recently been popularized, largely due to a new generation of super-fans
becoming industry professionals. Or perhaps because in the absence of any new ideas OUT
THERE, the most original thing one can do is to turn IN HERE. Scream was one of the
first truly meta movies and therefore became an instant classic, followed years later by
Cabin in the Woods. And Deadpool, soon to be a major motion picture - finally! - is
one of the truly great meta characters of all time. So how does a prestigious indie
filmmaker like Alejandro Inarritu - whose previous films include Amores Perros, 21 Grams,
Babel and Biutiful - get involved in something like this? Well when I saw Birdman closing
night at the New York Film Festival, for Inarritu’s introduction he was quoted as saying all of
his films had been a spicy meal - and now he was ready for dessert. Or is that revenge?!
It sure has got to be frustrating these days to be an indie artiste in an industry consumed
by blockbuster pictures... And while at the New York Film Festival Inarritu thanked writer
Raymond Carver’s widow for allowing him to use one of Carver’s works in the film,
he really owes everything to Michael Keaton - the white hot sun in this meta constellation.
Because just like his alter ego in Birdman, Riggan Thomson, Keaton really did star in
one of the biggest comic book franchises of all time - and really did choose to walk away.
But what he didn’t bet on was walking into oblivion - am I referring to Riggan Thomson
or Michael Keaton? Both! And THAT’S meta! The infamous club of actors who were genuinely
on top but then gave it all away, only to lose everything they ever had while still
maintaining enough credibility to star in an Inarritu film? Well, I think membership
might just be one... Speaking of that credibility, does Keaton have enough to win over The Academy?
Just like Thomson is hoping to win over the Broadway elite in Birdman? And to make things
even more interesting, Birdman is filmed entirely as one long single continuous take, ala Alfred
Hitchcock’s Rope. But thankfully, the digital age has allowed Inarritu a few cheats in post
to achieve the effect. So, back to that original question - IS Birdman just an impressive dessert,
say al a flambe? Or is it that other dish best served cold, revenge!
These days I watch a lot of movies...
not just for Beyond The Trailer in general
but because of the time of year it is
it's award season, and there a lot of movies to see!
For instance last Friday I saw three movies in one day
and then the very next day Saturday
I saw another two!
And as you watch so many movies in quick succession with a critical eye,
wondering if there is truly an Oscar-worthy entry in the bunch
or if it's just politics as usual
you start to feel a little like Ahab in search of Moby Dick
is that perfect movie out there?
Or have you gone a little crazy?
Well I'm happy to report I've not gone crazy
because I've found the perfect movie and it's Birdman.
Now when I tweeted my initial reaction to the film Saturday night,
it was one of the two I saw that day
someone tweeted back "Grace, please! Don't overhype Birdman!"
And I tweeted back "I can't overhype Birdman, because it truly is a perfect movie."
And that's due to the amazing construction of the film
at every level!
It is an INTENTIONAL piece of art
which is so refreshing considering the shots in the dark
and self-serving experimentation
that's become so popular in Hollywood these days.
Now in terms of that construction,
what levels does it particularly excel at?
Well, there's the acting level.
Extremely well acted!
You can't imagine the movie without ANY members of the cast.
But to me the stand-outs were, of course, Michael Keaton,
Edward Norton, Zach Galifianakis - I couldn't believe how good Zach Galifianakis is in the movie
and Emma Stone! It was so nice to see her back in top-notch form
after her little Spider-Man detour.
Which I hoped hadn't been a little detour, but it ended up being a little inconsequential detour, unfortunately.
But here she's jumped right back into her quality acting, why she really got on a lot of people's radars in the first place.
And the only reason I think these actors stand out more than the others
is they have the larger parts.
So acting is fantastic.
Now how about this long continuous shot...
It's amazing to watch!
And the best thing I can say about it
is that as I tried to look for cheats
and to figure out where they were cutting the film
y'know, digitally?
I kept forgetting to check
because I was drawn into the story so much!
I was like "omigosh, they might have cut there
i wasn't looking for it, I was paying so much attention to the story!
Yes, the story!
Does Hollywood still tell stories?
Well Birdman has a story to tell, QUITE a story,
and that story is about Hollywood.
And Birdman is such a wonderful snapshot of what Hollywood has become these days
and its arguments, for and against Hollywood, are so well constructed
yes Birdman...y'know, derides Hollywood for its current status
but at the same time plays INTO its current culture
that anyone watching the movie will feel Birdman agrees with them!
Which is part of its genius!
And I think that's because at the end of the day,
Birdman ISN'T judging
it isn't judging Hollywood
it's just simply laying it out there on a platter
for everyone to see
laying it bare and saying "this is what we've become"!
"This is what the current status of Hollywood IS."
And just...see it for yourself!
And that's why I think Birdman deserves to be
in the same category as Sunset Boulevard
Singin' in the Rain, Barton Fink, Tropic Thunder
those great movies about Hollywood.
And I hope that The Academy is confidant enough
to recognize the honesty that Birdman is dishing out here
and it gets the nominations that it deserves.
Birdman should be nominated in every category
and I think it should win in several of them as well.
So that's my review of Birdman
I DEFINITELY think you should see it
it is the best movie of the year I've seen so far
one of the best movies I've seen in several years
and I have a hard time imagining that anyone will be able to top it
at least in terms of quality
politically you might see somebody else actually win those awards
but Birdman is the one who deserves to actually - to get them.
Alright so that's my review!
Thank you so much for tuning in
and you can check out some more episodes right now...